


Bloodlines

by DisgruntledMinion



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Humor, Horses, Lemon, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-10
Updated: 2012-06-10
Packaged: 2017-11-07 08:55:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 118,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/429198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisgruntledMinion/pseuds/DisgruntledMinion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To Sasuke the race track was a place of serious skill, competitive spirit, winner circles, and the steady beat of hoofs on the dirt ground. All that though was about to change thanks to the tracks newest jockey. AU:SasuNaru</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Blue Grass Stakes

_It is said that all modern Thoroughbred are descendants of three horses, the Darley Arabian, the Godolphin Arabian, and the Byerly Turk, these three horses had three offspring, Eclipse, Matchem, Herod, who in turn helped build the Thoroughbred that we have today. In the General Stud Book, which dates, back to at least the 1700's or so, 387 mares are listed in the first volume alone, and trace their origins to these three Thoroughbred stallions. The lineage of Eclipse is dominant in the modern Thoroughbred._  
\--------

The sun beat down on the poly turf, sending heat waves glimmering into the distance. Excitement and anticipation were in the air as the track prepared for the final event of the day. Even the backside was alive with noise as grooms checked over the horses that were getting ready for the last race, while others made sure that the animals were ready to return home. Hot walkers cooled down horses from the previous runs before they were looked over by the trainers, making sure that nothing was injured during their time on the track.

Jockeys who had already rode earlier during the day talked with owners and trainers, setting up rides for races in the future. While the jockeys that were getting ready to race headed into the jockey room to change into their silks and weigh in.

"Ladies and gentlemen, fifteen minutes until post time. All betting stations close in five minutes." A voice boomed over the stands and the backside.

High-stung horses pranced on the end of their lead lines as their handlers led them out for the post parade where the crowd was able to look at them to put in any last minute bets and awe over them. Cameras flashed as the sleek animals moved past the crowd and their jockey's came up to meet with them.

It was a picture of calm; depicting a track where everything ran smoothly and on time. However, things are never that quiet and smooth, they just look that way for the people sitting comfortably in their couches at home. In real place and time, things are much, much, louder. And normally chaotic.

And he hated it.

There was a shrill cry of a stallion as it whistled out a challenge to others as it was being led towards the track and hundreds of people were pressed up against the white, metal railing that separated the viewers from the stabling area. Tension was thick in the air as the jockeys made their way out to their horses, each eyeing the other; each wanting to win.

It was hard to ignore the yelling that came from the crowd, as well as the journalist that asked annoying questions, but he managed somehow. Years of practice, he guessed. He instead turned his attention onto his older brother who was walking just a few steps in front of him as they met up with his mount in the paddock.

The handler was finishing tightening the girth on the saddle and straightened up as they approached, "He's ready to race Mr. Uchiha." He announced.

"Obviously," his older brother answered smoothly, "Otherwise he wouldn't be out on track, now would he?"

The handler stumbled over an apology as he gave the jockey a leg up onto the mount, and once he was settled, handed him the reins.

"Ladies and gentlemen, five minutes until post time!" The voice boomed.

A silver haired man wondered over and looked over the chestnut stallion before releasing a sigh, "Well at least he isn't washy this time." He glanced up at the jockey, "Sasuke, just run him like we always do and he should be fine. Just keep him somewhere in the middle for a while until an opening presents itself, then let him run."

Sasuke adjusted his black and white silks before giving the head trainer a sharp nod and looked towards his brother for any advice. But Itachi simply shrugged and sauntered off to the rail.

"Well Sasuke, we'll see you in the winners circle then, good luck."

"Hn."

He pushed the horse onto the track and allowed the lead pony to take the reins and escort him towards the chute. It wasn't long before he allowed his mount to move into a trot, then a canter. After he deemed the horse ready, he signaled for a slow gallop so the horse could become accustomed to the track, before he dropped him back to an easy walk.

He grunted slightly, noticing that his mount wasn't nervous; seemed that even his crazy trainer knew what he was talking about sometimes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is a fine April day here at the Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky for the Blue Grass Stakes. The horses have entered onto the track, and we will have several contenders for the $750,000 purse. Jockey Pat Day has drawn the number one slot for the gate, giving him the best shot for the rail; however, the youngest member of the Uchiha family, riding Tobi, has drawn gate number three. Pat Day is going to have to keep his eye on this rider if he wants to keep his rail position. We also have other jockeys here, such as Garrett Gomez on Sinister Minister and Shane Sellers on The Cliff's Edge who can give this field a run for its money. And it looks like the horses are entering the gate."

Sasuke circled Tobi around in a circle to keep him calm while the other horses loaded, before he led the horse into the gate with the others. He double-checked his clip on his helmet before settling into the saddle, ready for the gates to spring open. The feeling of excitement rushed through his body, knowing that once the gates opened, things would speed up. Where a moments hesitation could be the difference between first and second place, and that a single fall could mean death.

He loved the feeling.

A hush had fallen upon the large stadium as the crowd waited for the starting bell. On the track things had quieted as well, and in the gate, the horses shuffled slightly; then the bell rang, the gates shot open, and the race had started.

"Pat Day riding High Yield has broken clean from the gate and has first position on the rail as we start this race of nine furlongs and the rest of the pack follows closely behind. Uchiha had a clean break but he seems stuck in the pack in fifth place and has no where to move." The voice commentated for the crowd.

Sasuke gritted his teeth as he angled Tobi for the spot next to Sellers, and then held his position waiting for some of the others to fall back and the opening he needed to make itself available. The fifth furlong flashed by signaling the half-mile mark had passed, when one of the lead horses began to drop back.

"The number six horse is tiring, despite the urging of his rider, and the riders are making their moves. Day is moving Yield up to second, and look at that, Uchiha has shot Tobi forward to take third, ridding right behind Day. We now have four new leaders in this race as we come up to the final turn and past the sixth furlong with three left."

Sasuke shot a quick glance in front of him and knew that there was no way that either Day or the number two horse were going to create an opening, so he needed to go wide. He could feel Tobi still running strong under him and with only three furlongs left, he pulled him to the right, swinging to the outside of the turn. Tobi changed gears and picked up more speed as he saw the open track in front of him, and with in seconds had pulled even with the two leaders.

"Uchiha has taken Tobi wide and has now leveled up with the leaders, but holding the lead for so long has taken its toll on the Number Two horse who is beginning to tire and drop back, leaving this race up to Uchiha and Day as they continue to pull ahead of the pack."

As the Number Two horse fell back, all that remained were two furlongs, and Tobi still had more to give. Sasuke crouched down further in the saddle and moved his hands up Tobi's neck, giving him more rein, allowing Tobi to shift gears one more time. They began to eat up the track and Sasuke glanced back under his arm to make sure that Day was staying behind as the quarter pole flashed by.

"Tobi has found another gear as we move down the homestretch and past the quarter pole with one furlong to the finish. I don't think that Day can bring his mount up enough to catch Tobi and Uchiha, who have a length and a half on them. And as we continue down to the wire, Tobi is still running strong and our winner will be Tobi, ridden by Sasuke Uchiha. Winning by almost two lengths with a time of 1:51:45."

Sasuke stood up in his stirrups as he brought Tobi down to a slower gallop, before the horse settled into an easy canter. He turned Tobi around as he finally dropped into a jog and brought him back to the rail where his brother and trainer were waiting.

"Great race Sasuke." Their trainer said, "Couldn't have asked for anything better."

He didn't answer the trainer, instead, his eyes scanned the crowd as his brother came forward and stood next to Tobi as the crowd and interviewers moved next the Winner's Circle to get pictures for the paper. A reporter squeezed his way through the crowd and shoved a tape recorder into his brothers' face. Itachi glared at him, and the reporter took a step back, nearly passing out from fear.

"Mr. Uchiha, what are your comments about today's race?" Another reporter asked from a distance.

"This was a fast track today, and Tobi ran well, as we expected of him." He answered.

"And what of your brother, who pulled up from fifth and into first place to win in the blink of an eye, not to mention him going wide on the turn."

"The horse did all the work today; there was nothing spectacular about the jockey's riding that I saw today."

Sasuke kept his face neutral as his brother and trainer continued to answer questions, but inside he was fuming. He knew it was a good race and attempt, but he wasn't going to press the matter with his brother until they were on their way home and away from the press. Instead, he focused on the crowd who was gradually thinning out with the exception of the fans, most of whom were female.

A blond haired female made her way through the crowd sporting a black and white jacket and grabbed Tobi's bridle, "All right people, we need to get this horse cooled down." She announced and Sasuke dropped to the ground.

"Good race Sasuke." She murmured as she led the horse away and back into the backside where she could walk him in quite. He followed and tried to ignore the reporters and fans as he pulled his helmet off his head and shook out his black bangs. A small group from the crowd surrounded him, asking for pictures and autographs. He glared at them icily and before he had the chance to answer, they backed up slightly as someone came up behind him.

"If you'll excuse us, we have to get ready for our trip back home. Sasuke can play later." The soft voice of his brother said. A shiver ran through the group and they moved out of the way, as the two brothers passed.

They reached the backside where the handler held Tobi's head as the vet checked over him for any injuries. She stood up and smiled at them, "He came off that race just fine Itachi, give him some rest tomorrow, and he should be ready for the track again."

Itachi nodded and Sasuke moved past them so he could change out of his silks and get ready for the part of the day that he dreaded even more than his fans; the after race party. Well, in all honesty, it was a toss up between the two; he still wasn't sure which he hated more. But it was up there in the number three to five range with his brother as the number one thing he hated the most and bruised tomatoes closely behind.

He moved through the slowly thinning out locker room and quickly rinsed the dirt off his body that the horses had kicked up. Once clean, he dressed in some nice jeans, and a dark blue long sleeve shirt, and then he proceeded back to the backside where Itachi was waiting for him.

"I hate you for making me do this after every race." He hissed as they walked to the lounge where music could be heard drifting out into the night air.

Itachi turned and gave him a smirk; Sasuke cursed that smirk. He only liked it when he was allowed to use it on other people, not the other way around.

They entered the room and in the blink of an eye, Itachi vanished; leaving Sasuke to face the lions, alone. He could feel the hungry eyes on him as trainers and owners sized him up like a piece of meat, ready for the taking, while other jockeys whispered ways to take him down.

So it wasn't really that bad, but it felt that way. He found himself making his way to the refreshment table where he picked up a cup of punch and sipped from it, moving to the back part of the room, trying to make himself invisible. His dark eyes scanned over the crowd as they talked together and he tried to pick out his brother amidst the crowd, as well as trying to stay invisible.

His plans were foiled as he was at last spotted in his own little area and some people came over to talk. At the same time, he finally located his brother near the center of the room, their eyes caught, and that same evil smirk flickered across his brother's face.

Bastard.

Itachi fought the grin that threatened to reach his lips, and instead focused his attention back to the discussion in front of him, namely the owner he had been talking to. He knew the owner well and had done business with him many times before, and hearing this new bit of information had spiked his curiosity. Something that Uchiha pride normally didn't allow.

"So rumor has it that you're breeding with some new people these day's." Itachi stated.

The man nodded, "He's new to the track, but his horses have excellent bloodlines. I'm talking about linage that was able to be traced back to some of the original studs, and to make things even better; he has two horses that are direct descendants of Eclipse and Matchem."

"Interesting." Itachi agreed. "What is the address of this breeder?"

"Oh, he's not a breeder." The man said, shaking his head, "He's a jockey, like your brother. I believe that he is racing the same race that Madara is in next week. You will be able to meet him there."

Itachi thought about this new bit of information. Having a jockey with a talented horse was something every racing facility wanted, and if he could convince him to run under the Uchiha silks or under contract, then the possibilities could be endless.

"Do you have a number for this jockey?"

The man reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, "Better, I have a card that his advisor gave to me." He handed the small, black square to Itachi, "If my guess is correct, he's not that far from your Estates."

After scanning the card, Itachi nodded, knowing exactly where this new operation was set up, and he planned to make a call sometime soon. In the mean time, he figured it was time to go rescue his little brother before he did something stupid.

\-----------

There was only so much more Sasuke could take. He had already stepped outside of his comfort zone when it came to talking to other jockey's about past races. He was fine talking to trainers and owners, but fellow jockeys were a different thing.

He was currently trying to block out several other riders, thinking instead of how he was going to get back at his brother for sending them over in the first place, when the Devil himself showed up.

"Sasuke." He said; amusement in his voice.

"What?"

"Let's go, I have matters that I need to attend to." Itachi answered.

Sasuke nodded, hiding the relief that raced through his body, and followed his brother out of the lounge after nodding goodbye to the other jockeys. He took in the cool air as they walked to the car, glad to finally get away from the party.

"What business did you run into that made you want to leave so soon?" He asked as they pulled away from the track.

"Just some racing business that could help push our operation to a new level."

"Hn."

It was silent for a while as they moved onto the highway before Sasuke finally spoke up, "So what was wrong with my ride today?"

"Nothing." Itachi answered, "Tobi ran well, and you waited for the opening, just like you were supposed to."

Sasuke frowned, "Then why did you say that it wasn't spectacular?"

"Because it wasn't. It was just a normal race that we knew we could win since Tobi was primed, the field was good; need I go on?"

He shook his head, knowing that his brother had made a point. While it was a good race, it wasn't something close that allowed the jockey to really push the horse forward. Tobi was in physically great shape, so the outside move wasn't a big deal for him.

He pushed the thought away. He was an Uchiha, and it was known that they didn't pout over something so small. It would just mess with his mind during his next race and it would go downhill from there.

Instead, he would focus on next week, when they took Madara to the track and he came one-step closer to catching up to his brother.

\------

They finally pulled off the highway and moved down a wide road lined with trees coming into bloom. Green grass and white fences came into view as Itachi turned onto their property, where three large barns greeted them. Their estates covered over ten acres, with more land that could still be used if needed. To the right of the barns was an outdoor track, complete with a chute and gate, and the track could be doubled for steeplechase training.

There were several arenas' spread out on the land that was used for breaking colts and extra training. Some were located outside near the track, while others were stationed indoor for the winter and wet months. The rest of the land was used as pastures for the horses, each horse getting their own small enclosure.

The grooms were already back and were unloading the horses as Itachi pulled up to the barns. The smell of hay and grain flooded Sasuke's nose as he stepped out of the car and wondered into the barn to check over the horses, including his own personal Thoroughbred; Sanis. She was retired from racing a few years ago after pulling a tendon, and was given to Sasuke after he received his license to race.

After making sure she was settled in for the night he went to his fathers' office, only to find the door closed. He could make out the muffled voices of his brother and the Head Trainer; Kakashi.

Knowing that it would be a while before they finished talking about the races, and the deals that would be made, he let them be and wondered up to the house where his mother was waiting with dinner.

"I saw your race today Sasuke," She said and kissed him on the forehead, "You looked good out there."

"Thanks." He murmured and sat down to eat.

His mom told him about the activities that had happened at the barn while they were at the track over the weekend. He was pleased to learn that his father had sold two of their colts over the weekend, and had bought a new mare.

After finishing dinner, he trudged up the steps to his room, which was newly cleaned, courtesy of his mother he guessed. His room was large, with bookcases covering parts of the wall. A desk was stationed at the far side of his room, where papers were stacked next to the computer. Pictures of horses and family hung on the dull blue walls, and white French doors led to his bathroom. There were some windows that faced out towards the pastures and another set of French doors that went to a balcony.

He changed out of his party clothes, and tossed them onto the floor. He turned the radio on while he got ready bed, and then crawled into the covers once he was done.

After picking up a book sitting that sat on the nightstand table, he leaned back against the dark oak headboard, and started to read. Even though he was a full time jockey, he was also taking classes at college, and he needed to keep his grades up, otherwise his father wouldn't let him race.

He studied until he felt his eyelids droop, and then set the book aside. A quick glance at the clock showed it to be ten, and the days events finally caught up with him as he passed out the moment his head hit the pillow.

\------

Itachi sat in his office, staring at the black card in front of him. He didn't want to tell his father about this new jockey until he learned more about the rider, in case it proved to be a dead end.

He reached for the phone and punched in the numbers, listening to the dial tone for a few moments before someone picked up.

_"Eclipse Estates, how can I help you?"_

"This is Itachi Uchiha from Uchiha Estates; may I speak with your Head Jockey?"

_"I'm sorry, Mr. Uchiha, he is currently visiting family at the moment. Can I take a message?"_

"Yes, can you tell him that I called, and I would like to speak with at the race this week?"

_"Of course Mr. Uchiha and I'm sorry once again that he's not here right now."_

"Thank you, have a nice night."

_"You too."_

Itachi hung up and let out a sigh, he hated talking so formally on the phone and normally left it to Kakashi, but even his head trainer didn't know about this. Instead, he had gone against his likings, and made the call himself.

He looked down at the little card in front of him with a picture of a galloping horse in the corner, and in dark red, the words read,

_Eclipse Estates_

_Head Trainer: Jiraiya_

_Jockey: Naruto Uzumaki_

_9014 Kona Ln., Kentucky_


	2. The Arkansas Derby

The track was unusually calm that morning as the sun began its trail across the sky. Snorts and calls from hungry horses were the only noise that could be heard as grooms began their rounds of feeding and grooming. They enjoyed the quite, calm morning, knowing that it wouldn't last long.

Because today was race day.

Outside of the stalls, a few cars and trucks could be heard pulling onto the gravel driveway, and the sound of the doors slamming shut signaled the end of the quite morning. The grooms looked over the stall doors as footsteps and voices were heard, and they tried to figure out if the voices belonged to their team or someone else's.

Two sets of arguing voices caught the attention of one pink haired groom, and she poked her head out from the stall.

"Good morning Jiraiya, Naruto." She called.

The blonde-haired jockey looked up from his argument with his trainer and flashed a wide smile, "Morning Sakura, how's my baby today?"

"I'm fine." She answered.

A confused look passed over his face before he laughed and walked over to the stall door, "Not you, I meant my reddish – orange, four speed, Thoroughbred; Kyuubi."

Bright blue eyes focused on the muscular horse in the stall that was covered in shavings and still eating his breakfast. Upon hearing Naruto's voice though, his head jerked away from the food and he moved over to the door, butting his head against the blonds' chest.

"This is my baby, Sakura." He said rubbing the horse in-between his ears, "Aren't you boy?"

Sakura shook her head, "I've never seen someone so attached to his animal. Moreover, I'm not too sure how he can stand you. You go around talking about him like he's some sort of well oiled car."

Naruto shrugged and let himself into the stall. He picked up a brush and ran it over Kyuubi's coat, ignoring Sakura's complaints that it was her job to groom the horse. He fussed over the horse for a little longer before turning back to Sakura and handed her the brush again.

"Thank you." She said and snatched it away, then went back to work.

After leaving the stall, Naruto wondered down the aisle trying to find his trainer. He needed to make sure that the perverted old man wasn't going to get himself kicked off the track this time for flirting. Instead, he found him with the farms apprentice jockey.

"How's Shukaku today, Gaara?" he asked from the doorway.

The redhead paused from tightening the girth on the tan colored horse and glanced at Naruto, "He seems fine right now. It all depends on how he likes the track."

Naruto nodded, knowing that the temperamental buckskin was meticulous about his track preference at times. At the last race he was entered in, it took three men to get the stubborn animal into the gate, and was slow at the start, only to pick up speed to late at the end of the race.

Even though Gaara was just a bug, Naruto trusted him with the buckskin more than any other experienced jockey. It seemed that the horse had taken a liking to the small redhead, and liked to race under him.

"Brat!" A loud voice called out from down the aisle. Naruto turned around to see the vet, Tsunade; coming over. "He's going to behave on the track today, right?" She asked.

"He'll race fine today." He answered confidently, "He's got his favorite jockey on board."

Tsunade shook her head, "Not the horse, I meant your trainer. I don't need a repeat of the last time when the track officials were called in."

Naruto laughed, "I can't offer any promises, but with two horses racing today, he might be busy enough to keep his hands to himself."

"See to it." She said sternly, then softened, "So, how are you feeling for the races?"

He shrugged. "Same as always I guess."

She eyed him, "Not nervous about seeing the famous Uchiha Itachi?"

The jockey threw his hands behind his head and walked back towards Kyuubi's stall where the colt was saddled and ready to go, "Not really. I've never met the guy before, all I know is that he has some big racing business and he's retired now."

Sunlight cast bright rays over the track as he led the horse onto the track and Tsunade snorted, "He has some good horses Naruto, and his younger brother is a jockey too. I think you're racing him today."

Naruto stopped Kyuubi and swung into the saddle, "That doesn't change anything for me. I don't give way to people just because they have money." He tapped the horse gently on the sides and they set forth at a light walk.

Bright blue eyes took in the surroundings as they circled around the track. Normally during races, he only saw the flashes of the track go by, and he never really had the chances throughout the day to just look. The grass turf inside the track glistened with dew from the morning still, and a large pond sat in the middle, fish swimming lazily about. 

There was a slight tug at the reins and Naruto pulled his attention back to his horse and moved him into an easy trot for a while, his mind becoming fully focused on his work. It wasn't long before he pushed Kyuubi into a slow canter, trying to keep him at an easy pace.

As they rounded the track, Shukaku pranced out onto the track, eager to get a start on his warm up as well. Gaara quieted him down as they flashed by, before letting the horse break out into a trot.

Naruto checked Kyuubi for a second, before crouching low in the saddle and asking his horse for some speed. Kyuubi was all too happy to go. Scenery blurred around them and Naruto kept a check on both the horse and the poles. Once they passed the fifth on, he stood up in his stirrups and brought the chestnut down to speed.

The horse snorted in disagreement making Naruto laugh, "You'll get your chance later today," he told the horse, "Let's get you cooled down and groomed out."

They made their way back to the stables where it was now buzzing with activity and Naruto let out a sigh; this was where the fun began.

\---------

Sasuke pushed his way through the crowd of grooms and trainers, trying to locate Madara's stall in the mess. Madara had been flown down to Arkansas earlier during the week so he could adjust over the week, but Sasuke had arrived only a few days ago, and he had enjoyed the un-crowded stables during that time.

He found Madara's stall empty when he reached it and cursed inwardly. Just his luck. So instead, he found himself wondering outside to the track where the horse would be on the track since he wasn't in his stall. He quickly picked out Kiba astride the dark bay horse working on the backside, and stood next to the rail.

A few moments later, Kiba brought up the horse and nodded, "He feels good today."

Sasuke repressed the urge to grunt and instead gave a sharp nod and answered, "Cool him down then and let him rest."

Kiba pushed Madara away from the rail and Sasuke turned around to head back to the stables so he could look at his competition. There were loud shouts coming from the wash rack area as he rounded the edge, and he barely had time to register what was happening when he felt a blast of cold water hit him in the face.

There were more shouts of surprise, and the water quickly vanished. He blinked, clearing the water from his eyes, ready to give the person with the water a quick death; only to find out that his culprit wasn't a person.

A red chestnut was holding the hose in his mouth, high above the hands of his handler. He watched as the blond handler finally yanked the hose out of the horses' mouth and shut the water off.

"Sorry about that." he said, "Sometimes I swear this horse has an evil mind and likes to do whatever he wants."

Sasuke snorted, "You should train your animal better than." He bit out, "Animals like that don't belong here. This is a race track, not some play center; horses like yours don't belong here."

"Maybe you should train yourself to have some fun, you stuck up ass." The handler answered back.

"And maybe you should teach yourself some common sense." Sasuke snapped, not liking where this conversation was going.

He turned and left the soaked horse and handler standing in a puddle of water.

The blond turned back to the horse, "Well he was a bastard."

\----------------

A soaking wet Sasuke stormed through the aisles in the stable, ignoring the looks from the jockeys and trainers. He found Itachi talking next to Kakashi about the race strategy for Madara, who was being groomed down. At Sasuke's entrance, they both stopped and Itachi raised an eyebrow at him.

"I didn't realize it was so hot outside that you wanted to swim, little brother." He said.

"Shut up." He snapped and picked up a towel from the trunk, "Some idiot handler couldn't control his horse while he was trying to wash it, and ended up washing me."

He toweled off his hair, allowing the black bangs to fall around his face and leaned back against the stall wall to unbuttoned his shirt so it could start to dry. He looked up at his brother, and flinched; he had evil written all over his face.

"I don't like that look." He said

"Oh, just image, Sasuke, how many people would like to see you like this. Soaking wet and shirtless."

A horrible thought flew through Sasuke's mind at that moment, "You wouldn't."

Itachi shrugged, "I don't know what you're thinking about Sasuke." He said, face calm.

Before Sasuke could react, Itachi had pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the wet Uchiha. He glanced at the resulting picture and a small smirk reached his lips as he flipped the phone around so Sasuke could see it. "I think I'll keep this and use it when I need the leverage."

Sasuke's eyes went wide, and it took all his self-control not to tackle Itachi to the ground and run away with the phone. He was an Uchiha after all. However, it didn't stop him from planning revenge for his dear, older brother.

\--------

The day moved quickly, and soon it was race time.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have just fifteen minutes until post time, where these horses and jockeys will compete over nine furlongs for a purse of one million dollars!" The crowd cheered and fans pressed against the railings as the horses were led out towards the saddling area.

Inside the jockey room, tension was heavy as the jockeys dressed in their silks, and then went to be weighed. Sasuke ignored the tension as he pulled on his familiar black and white silks; if he paid attention to the atmosphere, it would throw his race off. He stood up and moved to leave when someone bumped into him at the door. A scowl crossed his face as he realized that it was the blond haired handler from the morning.

"Nice to see you dried off." The blond said when he noticed the raven-haired jockey.

"This is the jockey's room," he answered, "What are you doing here? It can't be to shower, since you did that this morning."

Sasuke didn't bother waiting for an answer, he was already running behind and he needed to talk to Kakashi about the race one last time. He pushed past the blond and out the doors towards the scale to be weighed, and after passing the weight, he headed outside.

He quickly located his brother standing next to Madara with Kakashi and made his way over to them. Kakashi was checking over the bay one last time while Ino held his head, and smiled as Sasuke approached.

"He's all yours Sasuke." She said

"Hn."

"Sasuke, run him like we trained last week. He is a mid-distance horse and he knows how to close, but not as well as Tobi. You'll want to signal him to close sooner, and keep him running."

Sasuke nodded and accepted the leg up from Kakashi. Once settled in the saddle, he turned the horse towards the track and fell in line with a lead pony.

Itachi watched Sasuke enter the dirt track, then turned to Kakashi, "Watch him race today."

Kakashi hesitated, not sure how to ask his question, but Itachi saved him the trouble, "I already know how he's going to race. I have another interest at the moment."

\--------

Naruto emerged from the locker room and dropped his helmet on his blond spikes as he walked over to Jiraiya and Gaara, who were waiting for him with Kyuubi.

"What's wrong kid?" Jiraiya asked as Naruto buckled his helmet.

"Just met the biggest bastard in the world. Twice actually." He swung into the saddle, "What are the odds?"

"So go kick his ass." Jiraiya answered and patted Naruto's leg.

Gaara handed him the reins, green eyes showing slight excitement as always before a race, "You'll be fine Naruto, he's ready."

Naruto nodded and pushed Kyuubi out onto the track.

\-------

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is post time here at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas; home of the Arkansas Derby. We have some old faces including those of Uchiha Sasuke, who won last weeks race at the Blue Grass Stakes in Kentucky, and we have some new faces on today's track as well. Newcomer Uzumaki Naruto riding Kyuubi, for Eclipse Estates."

Naruto moved Kyuubi into an easy canter, passing some of the slower horses who were still trotting. Kyuubi's ears pricked up, and flickered back and forth, showing the blond that the horse was alert and ready to race. As they neared the gate, he slowed him down to an easy walk, allowing his heart rate to settle.

He had drawn the number six for the starting gate, which wasn't bad for Kyuubi's preference. He found that the chestnut liked to break from the far side of the gate and hang with the pack from there, even going around the corners. Jiraiya figured that it had to deal with something mentally, and suggested that the horse was claustrophobic.

They never truly tried to answer the question though, knowing that they needed to listen to the horse's preference if they wanted the best results.

More of the horses had arrived near the gate and as they began to load, Naruto felt his heart begin to pick up pace. Underneath him, Kyuubi shifted, feeling his excitement, and Naruto placed a calming hand on the chestnut as they entered the number six gate.

"The horses are almost loaded, and this race is about to begin. The last horse is in..."

Silence fell over the racetrack. In the blink of an eye, the bell rang and the gates flew open.

"And their off. Uchiha riding Madara grabs the first position on the rail and the other horses follow right behind him."

Sasuke crouched low in the saddle, fingers buried in Madara's black mane. They had a good position, now they just had to keep it. To the right of him, two horses were competing for second and a quick check under his arm showed the other jockeys trying to make their moves.

Near the middle of the pack, Naruto guided Kyuubi closer to the inside where a horse had already fallen back. They were almost down the backstretch, and he was ready to make his move. Kyuubi was asking for more rein and he had slowly been giving it to him, making sure that he wasn't fighting the bit.

The sound of thundering hooves was loud and dirt was flying everywhere, but it was all ignored by Naruto as they rounded the last corner and Kyuubi switched gears. They were coming up on the lead horses now, and Naruto could see the two on the outside tiring.

Sasuke watched as the two horses next to him began to drop back as they rounded the corner and he allowed Madara to have a little more rein. A quick look under his arm showed him that none of the other horses could catch up, and he began to enjoy his lead as they moved around the corner.

It didn't last long.

They were barely into the last turn, and his lead lasted only a few seconds, when his vision blurred with a red chestnut, who was still running strong. His eyes went wide as the horse moved past them quickly and into the lead.

Kyuubi moved past the dark bay and his jockey, and Naruto let up on the reins some more. The horse felt the lack of pressure on his mouth and instantly dug in, shifting gears, and eating the ground up beneath him.

By the time that the horse and rider had passed, Sasuke's mind finally returned to normal speed, and he flicked his whip, grabbing Madara's attention. The bay jumped forward and dug into the ground, but the damage was already done. Because the other horse had come from his blind spot on the outside, he had caught Sasuke by surprise, and it was now costing him.

Cockiness can be a bitch in the end.

The difference between the two horses was too great for them to make up now and he cursed. He hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings like he was taught, and Madara had slipped into an easy pace; now it was hard for him to jump and full out sprint the last leg.

They shifted into one last gear as they came down the homestretch, but the other horse was at least two lengths and gaining more ground. He glanced under his arm to make sure nothing else was going to surprise him, only to find that the pack was closer than he had thought.

A loud cheer from the crowd told him that the other horse must have crossed the wire, and he glanced at the poles to the left of him, noting that he had a few furlongs to go still. It felt like a lifetime by now, but he finally crossed under the wire and brought Madara down to a slow gallop.

He glanced up at the jockey in front of him, who was allowing is horse to drop down into a trot and was turning around again. Bright orange met his eyes as he cantered by him.

'Who the hell wears orange and black on their silks?' He questioned.

The rest of the field was coming around the corner now, slowing their horses down as well and congratulating the badly dressed jockey. He turned Madara around now as well, heading back to the fence where Ino and Kiba were waiting to take Madara from him.

As soon as they held the bay's head, he jumped down and yanked his helmet off angrily. He noticed Kakashi coming over, but he ignored him. Anger threatened to overwhelm him, and he took a couple deep breaths, coming himself down. Cameras were everywhere, and he was sure the racing crowds would love to see him throwing a tantrum over losing a race.

So on the outside he calm, cool, and collect. The three 'C's' that gave an Uchiha, his Uchiha-ness.

However, on the inside, he was fuming.

\---------

Naruto brought Kyuubi down to an easy walk and patted his sweaty neck as Gaara came up and grabbed his head. Both horse and jockey were both sweat streaked and covered in dirt, but Naruto flashed him a bright smile.

"How's that for a win?" he asked as the apprentice jockey led the horse to the Winner's Circle where media surrounded the fence.

Green eyes held blue eyes, and there was the briefest of nods, before Sakura and Jiraiya came up beside them. The track officials were there as they draped some roses over Kyuubi's neck.

All around them reporters were snapping pictures and asking questions, most of which Jiraiya answered, allowing Naruto to relax in the saddle slightly. He listened with half an ear, until one of the reporters pushed a microphone near him.

"That was one hell of a finish, racing from the outside the whole time, and then catching us all by surprise. What inspired this move?"

"A certain jockey gave me the motivation I needed this morning, and let's just say it was his pep talk that gave me my edge."

Kyuubi's ears flickered back to him and he turned his head around and nipped at Naruto's boots, causing the crowd to laugh.

"Kyuubi." He scolded gently to the horse, and then turned to the crowd, "He likes to be in the center of attention most of the time, and I swear he has a human mind at times. But he's the one the does all the running and does deserve the attention."

Kyuubi let out a snort of agreement then turned his head around so it was face forward again, and butted Sakura's hand, asking for a carrot.

Jiraiya finished answering questions and security shoed the crowds away as they led the horse back to the barn. Naruto rested a hand on his shoulder, feeling the muscles ripple under the skin, but the skin was cooled down now, telling him that his horse came out of the race fine.

He jumped down, insisting to Sakura that he could take care of his horse, and just wanted to spend some time with him. "Sakura, if it bothers you so much, you can get his dinner and all that ready. I'm sure he's hungry."

She snorted, "Thank you so much for giving me permission to do my job."

"Hey, we pay you, don't we?"

"Not enough for putting up with you." She answered with a laugh.

He grinned at her, and then led Kyuubi to the wash rack, hosing him down carefully. He made sure that the horse didn't grab the hose again, but Kyuubi seemed content under the waters spray. After he finished, he dried him off and led him back to the stables where Sakura was waiting for him with a blanket for Kyuubi.

"I have his stall ready for him. Jiraiya told me to remind you that we're going to leave later tonight." She said as they walked back to the stables.

\--------

Sasuke had been avoiding Itachi for the later part of the race, but his brother was nowhere to be found. This worried him. He ignored Kakashi, who was trying to talk about his race, but he was in no mood to talk about it.

Instead, he checked over Madara, making sure that Ino had done her job. He found him nestled in bedding and eating his dinner contently.

"Sasuke." Kakashi came up again.

"What?" he snapped. "I told you, I know what I did wrong in that race; I don't need others telling me what I already know."

The trainer shrugged, "Fine, then I'll just tell Itachi that you didn't want to talk to him, and you're sulking like a little kid."

Sasuke growled, "Where is he?"

"He's waiting for you outside."

Sasuke headed for the end of the stable aisle and found his brother waiting for him. He didn't seem mad at Sasuke, instead, he seemed eager, and this made Sasuke nervous.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, "You didn't take anything did you?"

Itachi glanced at him, "No, and I'll let that slide for the moment." He started to walk towards the second barn and Sasuke followed curiously. "I'm about to meet someone who will help us expand our standing in the racing community, and I want you to meet him."

"Is he a breeder?"

"You could call him that." His brother answered.

They entered the second barn, and moved down the aisle way, looking at the resting horses inside the stalls. They reached an empty stall, and Itachi leaned against the wall, waiting for the owner to return.

"So where is this mysterious breeder?" Sasuke asked. He didn't like waiting for people when he was in a bad mood. Which was most of the time.

Voices filtered through the barn, and Itachi glanced down the brightly lit aisle where two people and a horse were entering the barn.

\--------

"I can't believe you forgot his food." Naruto complained.

In the mass confusing that followed the race, Sakura had forgotten to get Kyuubi's food from the trailer. They had to make their way back to the truck to pull out some buckets containing feed for the starving horse. Now the horse kept trying to snatch the food from the bucket Sakura was carrying.

"Sorry. I thought Jiraiya had already separated the grain and had dropped it by the stall."

"Space case." He said and she slapped him on the back of his head.

"You're one to talk." She answered.

He laughed and they entered the barn, where he could see two figures standing near Kyuubi's stall and next to him, Sakura dropped the bucket of feed she was carrying.

"What the hell was that for?" he asked.

"Naruto, that's Sasuke Uchiha."

"Who?"

Sakura nodded to the two men who were standing next to the stall. One of them started to walk towards them, and besides him, Sakura shifted nervously, "Naruto, that's Itachi, the one that wanted to talk to you. The other one is his younger brother; Sasuke."

Naruto looked at Sakura who had a slight blush across her face, and Naruto glanced past Itachi, and looked at his brother. He felt his mouth drop when he looked at him.

"You!" He said and pointed at Sasuke, "You're the bastard from earlier!"

Sasuke's head snapped up, recognizing the voice. Black eyes glanced up and were met with bright blue eyes, "Hn, well if you could handle your jockey's horse better, then we wouldn't have had that problem. Idiot."

"Wow, I'd heard that all you Uchiha's were smart, you must have gotten the short end of that stick." Naruto answered with a grin on his face.

Sasuke stalked closer to him and their eyes met, "What did you say?"

"You heard me. Or maybe you were just too busy throwing a tantrum after I beat you this afternoon that you didn't even bother to see who won."

It was only then, that Sasuke glanced at what the blond was wearing. He kept his face neutral, but he still could feel the shock race through his body as he noticed for the first time the orange and black silks he was wearing. Then that meant, that the jockey who won, who he criticized about fashion...

Ah, fuck.

A soft, clearing of the throat drew both of their attentions to Itachi, who was looking at them with amusement in his eyes. "Sasuke, this is the jockey that I wanted you to meet. This is Uzumaki Naruto. He rides for Eclipse Estates, and yes, he is the one that won the race today." Itachi held out his hand, "Mr. Uzumaki."

Naruto grasped his hand, "Mr. Uchiha. I'm pleased to meet you. And please call me Naruto."

A smirk touched Itachi's lips, "So you were the one that soaked my brother earlier this morning. He told me all about that."

"Yeah, sorry about that. Sometimes Kyuubi just wants to play and gets evil little thoughts in his mind." Naruto said with a slight laugh.

Itachi waved the apology aside, "Doesn't bother me. In fact I was able to get perfect blackmail out of the whole ordeal." He glanced at Sasuke who was fuming at him.

Naruto smiled at him and beside him, Sakura shifted slightly, "Ah, this is my groom, Sakura Haruno. Although, sometimes I like to take over her job." Behind him Kyuubi butted his back, feeling left out. "And this is my evil horse, Kyuubi."

Itachi nodded and decided to get down to business, "Are you heading back to Kentucky tonight?"

"Yes, my trainer, Jiraiya wants to get back as soon as possible." He nodded back towards Kyuubi. "We were going to let him eat and rest some before we loaded him up on the trailer and hit the road sometime this morning."

"Excellent. We're flying back tomorrow in the afternoon and should make it back around the same time. Perhaps later that day you would like to come over and see our facilities." Itachi said, ignoring Sasuke's slight sputter.

Naruto eyed him cautiously, "What for?"

"To talk business of course." Itachi answered, "Unless there was something else you were thinking about."

The jockey shook his head, "No, but I don't even know where you facilities are."

Itachi reached into his pocket and pulled out a white business card and handed it to the blond, "You can use that to find our place, and call if you happen to get lost."

Sasuke reached forward and pulled Itachi's hand back, "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He hissed in his ear.

"Doing the business side of the job, now you stick to the riding part of it."

"You're not actually thinking of hiring him are you? Father would never approve."

Itachi smirked, "I think he would, little brother."

"We already have Neji under contract and Kiba is almost finished his rides and will drop the bug from his license."

"Sasuke." Itachi murmured so softly that Sasuke almost didn't catch it. "Don't make me angry. Now, let go of my hand."

Sasuke quickly dropped his brother's hand, allowing Naruto to take hold of the white card.

"We'll see you tomorrow then, Naruto." Itachi said, and Naruto nodded.

The older brother nodded back and turned to leave followed closely by Sasuke. Sakura started forward, "Bye Sasuke." She said softly.

Naruto snorted at her and she turned back, "What? Can't I try? He's so cute."

"Please Sakura; he's an annoying prick, with a stick shoved up his ass." Naruto answered, "He obviously only cares about himself and winning."

They watched as the two brothers vanished into the night and Naruto turned and led Kyuubi back to his stall, "Come on, we have a nine hour drive ahead of us tomorrow and this guy needs some rest before then." He wrinkled his nose at her, "And he needs new feed now."

Sakura looked down at the bucket and blushed, "Sorry Naruto. It's just; I've never seen him in person before."

Naruto waved it off and ran a brush over Kyuubi's coat after she left, leaving him to his thoughts. He cursed and threw himself down in the bedding, making Kyuubi come over and lip at his blond hair.

"What am I going to do Kyuubi?" He asked the horse, but the chestnut simply huffed into his hand. "Going there is bound to bring him breathing down my neck again when he finds out, but at the same time, it's too good to pass up."

He leaned his head back against the wall and looked out at the dark, night sky where the stars were coming out, and he could make out the stadium from where he sat. Outside, a horse called out and another one answered, before everything quieted down again. He closed his eyes and Kyuubi shifted next to him.

'Fuck.'


	3. Itachi's Offer

Trees flashed by in a colorful blur of green and brown as the truck moved down the Kentucky highway. The road stretched on for miles ahead of them, vanishing into a thin little dot on the horizon where blue sky met with black asphalt road.

The trucks passengers were silent as the vehicle continued on its way. In the back seat, two jockeys sat, exhausted from the previous day. One with red hair had closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the headrest, waiting for sleep to overtake him. The other with blond hair was resting his head against the cool glass window, taking in the scenery as it flew by, quietly listening to music from his iPod.

His eyes started to droop, and he turned the volume down so he would not kill his hearing. Once it was at the setting he wanted, he allowed his eyes to fully close, letting sleep overcome him.

Next to him, the redheaded jockey had finally drifted to sleep as well. Only problem was, when he slept, he tended to twitch. A lot.

_'"Its Uzumaki coming down the stretch, winning this race by a length!" an announcer yelled out over the speaker. He turned Kyuubi around and brought him back to the winner's circle where the track officials were waiting with a silver trophy with a horse on the top and some roses._

_He flashed them a grin as pictures were taken, of him accepting the trophy and holding it up in victory. It was a perfect day, and nothing could make it better; nothing that is but some ramen._

_Once Kyuubi was cooled down, and everyone was changed, they headed to the jockey's room where a party was starting. He entered the room and knew instantly he had gone to Heaven. Ramen was everywhere._

_Now his day was perfect._

_After grabbing a bowl and sitting down on a sofa, he started to devour the soup, wondering what other flavors they had when his day suddenly took a turn; as the one person he didn't want to see, entered the room._

_He snorted and went back to his ramen, ignoring the bastard. However, the other jockey had already noticed him and was walking over._

_"What?" he asked as he slurped the rest of the broth, "Mad that I beat you?"_

_The only answer the other jockey gave was a hard kick to his upper thigh, causing Naruto to spill the rest of his ramen as he grabbed at his thigh._

_Naruto let out a scream, "Bastard!"_

Naruto woke up with a start as he felt the air leave his mouth. In the front seat, Sakura had turned around to look at him and give him a questioning look.

"My ramen." Naruto cried.

"What?" Sakura asked

"The bastard kicked me!" He yelled at her.

"I'm sure he didn't mean to."

The jockey snorted, "You're just saying that 'cause you think he's cute."

Sakura raised her eyebrow at the blonde-haired person.

Gaara stirred as the commotion in the truck became louder and finally looked at Naruto, "It was just as accident Naruto. You know what happens when I try to sleep in a small space."

Naruto blinked at Gaara for a second, and then looked back at Sakura, "Don't ask. It was just a dream."

She shook her head, "I'm not going to ask," she answered.

"So, now I'm a bastard?" Gaara asked; the smallest bit of smile on his face.

"No, not you." The blond answered quickly, "Just the person in my dream who made me spill my ramen. It was so good."

Gaara simply shook his head and leaned his head back, and once again, the truck was silent.

Outside the truck, a sign flashed by and Naruto let out a sigh, they still had an hour to go before they were home.

\-------

It wasn't that he was afraid of flying; he just disliked it with a passion. The airplane stewards batting their eyelashes at him and trying hard to get his attention; it was just plain annoying.

Not only that, but there was always someone who had a small child on board that insisted on crying; and never shutting up. Then there was also that kid who kept kicking the back of your chair for the whole ride, and you couldn't do anything to stop him.

To put it simple; flying was a pain in the ass.

Besides him, his brother removed the headphones from his ears and leaned over, "Why so tense little brother? I thought you got over your fear of flying years ago."

Sasuke gritted his teeth, "I'm not scared of flying, and I never have been. It's just annoying to me, that's all. And I want to strangle that child crying back there."

Itachi glanced back at the main cabin where the child could be briefly heard crying, "You shouldn't have forgotten you earplugs then."

He leaned back against the seat and placed the headphones back into his ears, foot tapping slightly to the music he was listening to.

Sasuke drummed his fingers on the top of his armrest for a while before finally turning to his brother, "Care to explain to me what is so special about the idiot jockey that you invited over today?" he asked, "As jockey, and family, I think I have a right to know."

His brother shook his head and pointed to his headphones, "I can't hear you right now."

"So take them off."

"What?"

Sasuke blew out a sigh of annoyance, "Never mind."

He glanced out the window and down at the clouds below, briefly wondering if he could toss his brother out the window.

\-------

Two hours and a slight headache later, they touched down in Kentucky. He ended up napping halfway through the flight and woke up to a sharp stinging sensation on his forehead.

"What the hell?" he asked as they taxied to the gate and he rubbed his forehead.

"Consider that your wake up call." Was the answer.

"I hate you." And Itachi smirked slightly.

After picking up their bags at baggage claim, they headed outside to the parking lot where the game of 'Find your Car' began. A few moments later, their car was located and they were on their way back to their Estates where Sasuke was planning to take Sanis for a ride around the complex for a while. She hadn't been exercised in a week or so and he wanted to make sure that she hadn't forgotten her training. It had been a side project of his to try to retrain her out of her racing ways and into a trail horse.

He leaned his head back and scowled when he remembered that he still had schoolwork to do. Next week was mid-terms and then he was off for Spring Break, and during that week, his father would be out on business overseas, and his mother was going on a trip of her own. Meaning he would be alone with his brother. For the entire week.

Damn.

When they arrived home, Sasuke stepped out of the car and grabbed his bags from the trunk, ready to head to the stables when a soft voice stopped him

"Don't forget that we have company coming over later, Sasuke."

He scowled; he had been trying to forget.

"Don't hold your breath; that idiot blond will get lost coming here." Sasuke replied and walked into the house.

He made it to his room and dropped his bags on the floor, before proceeding to change into some riding clothes. He had always found riding as a way to get away from everything, and give him a chance to relax. After he finished pulling on his boots he headed back outside and moved towards the barn, where behind the buildings, the sun was getting ready to set.

Sasuke found Sanis in a pasture with the rest of the mares and called her over. Delicate ears perked and she trotted over where she lipped at his pocket, asking for some carrot that he had tucked away. He pulled some out, let her eat while he slipped a halter over her head and led her back towards the barn.

"Sasuke, do you want Sanis saddled?" a groom called as he walked by.

The teen shook his head, "I'm good." he answered.

Even though he had Ino groom Madara and Tobi for racing, he always took care of Sanis himself, knowing that it was the best way for her to learn that she needed to listen to him. And he did enjoy taking care of her; he wasn't a stuck up prick all the time.

Once she was groomed and saddled, he led her out to the trails.

\-------

"Are we there yet?" Naruto whined from the backseat of the truck.

"Brat," Jiraiya said warningly. "You know that annoys me, besides we're almost there if you would just look around."

Naruto grinned, "I know, I just wanted to say it, that's all."

Outside the truck, newly blooming trees lined both sides of the black paved road, and black fences surrounded tree filled property. The trees slowly began to thin out and then eventually vanished as green grass pastures over took the scenery.

They pulled onto the gravel driveway and two large white barns were visible to the left, blocked only slightly by some blooming trees. Their operation was still fairly new and needed to expand more, but things needed to be taken at a slow pace. If they expanded to fast and bought new horses too quickly; debts could pile up and never be paid off. Resulting in them closing Eclipse Estates.

Naruto grimaced at the thought of closing the Estates down. He didn't want to lose Kyuubi or Shukaku. He had raised Kyuubi from a small colt and parting with him wouldn't be easy. Besides, it took a long time to get the farm where it stood today and he refused to rid under any other colors.

The truck came to a stop in front of the barn that housed the stallions and in the trailer behind them, Kyuubi let out a loud whinny. Naruto let out a smile as he climbed out of the truck and headed back towards the trailer where he could hear the two horses shifting around.

"Alright you two just give us a moment." He said

Gaara came up next to him and opened the trailer doors, entering carefully. Even though the horses were calm most of the time, they were still high strung and excited to be back home, and could accidentally injury one of them.

A few moments later, Shukaku backed out of the trailer, dancing on the end of his lead line. Gaara's face was calm, but Naruto could see the amusement in his green eyes. Inside the trailer, Kyuubi kicked at the floor, and the blond slipped inside.

He grabbed his halter and slipped it over the chestnuts head, talking quietly to him, making sure he stayed calm. Kyuubi's ears twitched back and forth, as he listened, then backed out as Naruto guided him from the front.

Once his hooves were on the graveled ground, he tossed his head up proudly and looked around the pasture, as if expecting some sort of welcome back committee for doing so well at the track. After his inspection, he snorted and yanked his head over to the pasture, wanting a good roll in the grass.

Naruto led him to his pasture and took the halter off, giving him a slight slap on the shoulder. Kyuubi turned his head towards him, eying him. The jockey let out a laugh, reached into his jacket, and pulled out some apple slices.

"You are a spoiled brat." He said but gave him the slices.

After the horses were settled, he headed back towards the trailer to help unload when a familiar voice called his name.

He turned around, a smile appearing on his face, and he attacked the person who called his name. "You missed a great race, Iruka." he said, "You should have been there."

"I saw the race on TV, Naruto. Besides, I was able to take care of some business here while you guys were gone."

Iruka owned Eclipse Estates and was responsible for the finances and business sides of the farm. His parents owned the farm when he was younger, and he raced for the farm for a while before his mother had fallen sick. After that, he helped his father run the farm by taking care of the money issues while his father dealt with the racing aspect.

When his father died, he had left Iruka with the farm, and Iruka continued to run the farm with the help of a family friend.

"Ah..." Naruto started and rocked back and forth on his heels like a young child, catching Iruka's eye, "I have a favor to ask of you about that business stuff."

Behind Naruto, the others continued to work, though trying to listen discreetly. The white haired trainer could already guess what the Uchiha wanted from their farm. They had valuable animals, but anyone with eyes could see the affection between the horses and Naruto. If the Uchiha wanted Kyuubi, he would have to take Naruto as well.

That could mean trouble for the farm.

"I met with Uchiha Itachi yesterday at the track after my race." Naruto started, "He wants me to come by and see their facilities later today."

Iruka was quiet for a while, brown eyes studying bright blue eyes before answering, "Well, if you accepted his invitation, you should go."

"That's the problem, Iruka." Naruto huffed, "I don't want to go alone. If Sakura comes, she'll just be swooning over that Sasuke bastard, leaving me to Itachi."

There was a loud cry from behind him, and Sakura chunked a brush at Naruto head. He let out a yelp as it connected with his head then rubbed the small bump. "Anyway," he said, "I want you to come with us, so that way, if anything tricky comes out, I won't fall victim to a loop hole. I don't want to lose anything."

The group at the trailer let out a sigh of relief. Even though the blond acted as though he didn't have a clue, he was smarter than he let on. He knew that Itachi was up to something and having the owner of the farm present at the time would help Itachi keep his hands to himself.

Iruka nodded that he would go, causing Naruto to grin and hug the older man, "Thanks Iruka." He pulled back, "Now, how 'bout some ramen? I had the best dream with some ramen in it and now I'm hungry."

Iruka rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but give into Naruto's blue puppy eyes. Damn those ramen-begging eyes.

"Fine."

Naruto let out a happy cry, only to be grabbed by the back of his shirt. He glanced up into Sakura's face, noticing the pulsing vein. "Do-Don't worry Sakura," he stammered, "I'll help unload the trailer before I leave."

Her face broke out into a smile, "Great." She then looked up at Iruka, "We'll be right up."

A few minutes later, the small group entered the bunkhouse and a very impatient blond whined for his ramen. He was happy to find a bowl waiting for him at the table, where everyone sat down and began to eat. Gaara declined the salty noodles however and said that he was going to shower, then vanished into the back hallway where stairs lead to the bedrooms.

The bunkhouse had been built off the original house years ago, when Iruka was still young and housed the full time grooms and trainers. Both Sakura and Jiraiya lived at home, living only a few minutes down the road from the Estates, while Gaara and Naruto stayed in the bunkhouse with a few of the other grooms and exercise riders that helped Sakura from time to time when she couldn't make it to the track or was busy with schoolwork.

After finishing eating, Naruto thanked Iruka and went upstairs to shower as well, knowing that he couldn't avoid the meeting with the Uchiha. Even if he didn't like it and didn't want to go, he was anything but rude. God forbid him being late to a meeting or even skipping one. His father would kill him.

He straightened at the thought and looked around, as if checking to see if he was somewhere in the house, but he shook his head. That would be impossible. He let out a grunt and continued to the bathroom so he could shower, knowing it would help clear his mind.

It didn't take long for the blond to shower and get dressed in some new clothes that looked presentable, and for added measure, he slipped on his black and orange jacket with the words 'Eclipse Estates' embroidered on the front. He messed with his hair for a moment, before deciding that it was helpless to make it look decent, and then tromped downstairs.

Gaara was waiting for him with a stubborn look in his eyes that said he was going and there was no way Naruto could convince him otherwise. So they both left the bunkhouse and wondered over to Iruka who was looking over a mare.

The brunette looked up and smiled, "Ready to go?"

Naruto nodded, "Let's get this done with."

\-------

The trip to the Uchiha estates was quick, proving that Itachi was right about them finding it quickly. It was borderline with their own property, separated only by a wide creek. They drove down the long driveway and stopped in front of the large barns and Naruto felt slightly awed by looking at the facilities.

Door's slammed behind him as Gaara and Sakura joined him. Sakura had been waiting in the truck when the climbed in, and insisted that she was coming. As backup, she insisted. She had to endure two minutes of Naruto's teasing her about her like for Sasuke, before she knocked him in the head, creating a large bump.

They stood silently next to him as Iruka came up and glanced at the facilities. From one of the barns two figures walked out and headed in their direction. One had short, messy, brown hair while the other had blond hair that covered her face.

"Mr. Uchiha told us to expect you," the one with blond hair said and extended her hand, "I'm Ino Yamanaka, one of the grooms here at the Estates. And this is Kiba Inuzuka; he's one of apprentice jockey's."

"Not for long though," Kiba interrupted, "I just need a few more races before I drop the bug on my license." 

"Still lagging behind as always, eh, dog breath?" Naruto asked

"Shut up fox face." Kiba snapped, "Just because I wanted to wait for a year before I tried doesn't mean that you're better than me."

Sakura looked at the two teens arguing, "How do you two know each other?" She asked.

"We went to high school together." Naruto answered, "I had started training to ride a few years before he did. He just copied me all the time, couldn't stand me being better."

He let out a yelp as Kiba tackled him to the ground and soon they were rolling around in the dirt, wrestling as they used to in high school. Sakura and Ino shook their heads, "Boys." They said.

Their fight didn't last long as a shadow fell over them, and a quiet voice spoke, "What's going on here?"

Fist stopped in midair as they glanced up to see black eyes gazing quietly at them and lips pressed together in a thin line.

"Mr. Uchiha." Kiba gasped and quickly stood, brushing the dirt off his clothes.

"I told you we had guest coming today and to treat them with respect." Itachi said, "I see we have different views of respect Inuzuka."

"It wasn't his fault, Mr. Uchiha." Naruto said, quickly butting in. Even though Kiba rode with a different stable, they were still good friends through thick and thin, and he knew that the brunette had worked hard to get his job. The last thing he wanted was for Kiba to lose his job because of him.

"We've known each other for a long time and we used to wrestle a lot when we were younger." He laughed, "Old habits must die hard."

Itachi brushed off the remark and looked at Kiba; "We'll talk about your punishment later." He turned to look at Naruto, "Mr. Uzumaki, you brought some friends."

Naruto stared at him for a moment before snapping out of his glare at being ignored, "Yes, this is Iruka Umino, owner of Eclipse Estates. You've met Sakura, one of our grooms, and this is Gaara, our apprentice jockey."

Itachi nodded and held out his hand towards Iruka, "Mr. Umino, it's pleasure to have you here."

Iruka gripped Itachi's hand, "Thank you for having us here, Mr. Uchiha, you have a nice place."

There was a brief silence and before Itachi could answer, he heard his name being called from inside the stables. They turned to see an older man with silver hair coming out onto the yard and Itachi suppressed a sigh.

"Excuse me; I have some matters to attend to. Ino can give show you around in my absence."

He turned and stalked towards the trainer and glared at him, but his glare was evenly meet, and they vanished inside the last barn.

Ino smiled at them, "Okay then. Welcome to Uchiha Estates, my name is Ino and I will be your tour guide. The Estates was founded by Uchiha Fugaku and has been running for the past few years under his eldest son, Itachi. Now if you will walk this way, I'll show you the training barn."

They followed her into the first barn, where the horses that were in training for the track draped their heads out of the stalls to greet the newcomers. Whinnies echoed down the clean aisle way as they asked for dinner and grooms moved by them with buckets in hand, while other horses were being let out to the pasture for the night.

Naruto counted eleven Thoroughbreds' in their stalls alone and he stared in awe at the ones that were being led outside. He had to admit that the Uchiha's had an eye from quality and their horses were beautifully built. Almost all had the wide chest, long straight legs, and powerful hindquarters that allowed the horses to carry themselves across the track. And he was sure that their lineage was exceptional as well.

"Alright, our next barn is the foaling barn; it houses our mares and the horses that aren't in training at the moment for whatever reason." Ino said as she led them into the second barn where a mare was being brought out, followed closely by a young foal.

The last barn was the stallions' barn where some of the older stallions stayed after being retired and put to stud. Naruto walked down the aisle way, looking into some of the stalls and admiring the horses, when one caught his eye.

"I remember you." He said and glanced at the name, "You were the one that Sasuke was riding yesterday." He bit back the rest of his comment, not trusting himself to continue talking, unless he wanted to get in trouble again.

Instead, he moved away from the stall and looked at some of the other stallions that were eating or resting. He continued through the stables and found himself back outside when a voice stopped him.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Naruto cringed and turned around, hoping it was all just a bad dream like earlier.

Wrong.

Even in the darkening sky, Naruto could make out the dark eyes that glared down at him on top of a light grey Thoroughbred.

_'Don't say anything stupid, don't say anything stupid.'_

"Your brother asked me to come by, remember?" Naruto said politely

Sasuke dismounted and took a step closer, "I would have figured you gotten lost, or maybe your tiny little brain would have forgotten to come."

_'Fuck this.'_

Naruto took a step forward and for a second Sasuke wondered if he had gone too far, but the blond simple allowed Sanis to sniff at his hand before reaching up to rub in between her ears, and she pushed against him in content.

_'Traitor.' Sasuke thought._

"I've never seen this mare at the track before." Naruto said.

"She's retired after pulling a tendon. My parents gave her to me after I received my jockey's license, and I'm retraining her." Sasuke answered trying to have some self-control.

"I feel bad for you." A soft voice said, and Sasuke looked over at Naruto who was still rubbing Sanis, "You're so nice, yet you can't do what you want because everyone expects something else from you."

Sasuke felt his heart speed up surely he hadn't...

"And you're so attractive, from your long legs and broad chest, to your black silken hair and dark eyes. You're forced to run every day, never getting the chance to be free, always forced to live up to someone else's expectations and never your own. All because you have the biggest, bastard on your back, named Sasuke."

The sound of self-control snapping can be very loud in one's mind.

\-------

Itachi strolled across the lush grass after finishing his meeting with Kakashi who had been concerned about one of the horses. Now he could finally put his plan into action. He had to admit that he was slightly disappointed that Naruto had brought the stables owner with him, this threw in a small twist to his plan, but it wouldn't effect the outcome.

He wondered how far along Ino was with her tour of the farm and where the blond jockey was at the moment. Black eyes noted that his brother was back from his ride, talking to said jockey. Then they watched the most amusing sight of Sasuke launching himself at the blond.

Interesting.

"Father will be most displeased to see you acting like this, little brother." He said when as he approached them.

Sasuke glanced up at his brother and then looked down at the blond he was straddling. He was still holding Naruto's collar and he felt the blond's nails digging into his other wrist as he tried to pull him off. The raven let go of the collar and Naruto's head hit the ground, making him curse at the other jockey.

They both stood up and looked at Itachi who's face was blank, leaving plenty of room for speculating what was on his mind. "Sasuke, go untack Sanis and we'll talk later. Mr. Uzumaki if you will come with me to my office please."

Sasuke felt a smirk tug at his lips as the blond followed after Itachi. If this didn't deter his brother from working with Eclipse Estates, he didn't know what would. He led Sanis into the second barn and waved a groom over.

"Take care of her for me today; I have something I need to do."

The groom nodded and Sasuke slipped off.

\--------

Naruto was nervous. This was the second time Itachi had caught him fighting, this time it was with his own brother though. What if wanted to sue the Estates for bodily damage. Shit. They didn't have that much money. He could claim self-defense though since Sasuke attacked him first.

He was jarred from his thoughts at the sound of a door being shut behind him, and he realized he was in Itachi's office. Itachi gestured for him to sit as he sat down behind a desk covered in papers and Naruto swallowed as he took a seat.

"Not many people would try to take on a second fight after being caught on the first fight; that takes courage, or stupidity." Itachi said, still ignoring Naruto's sputtering, "It's the same way when you race."

The comment stopped the jockey from talking and wondered where Itachi was planning to take the conversation. He was pretty sure that the older Uchiha wanted him to ride for their farm but that would mean bringing Kyuubi as well, and leaving Eclipse Estates without a fully license jockey.

And he wouldn't do that to them.

"I don't like to drag things out Mr. Uzumaki." The raven continued, "I would like to offer you a position riding for our stables."

Naruto sucked in a deep breath, this was what he feared, and he valued his career but he refused to back out on Iruka and Gaara.

"I'm sorry Mr. Uchiha, but I'm under contract for Eclipse Estates."

Itachi waved his hand, "Details, we have lawyers who can easily transfer you over if it came down to it."

The blond shook his head, "I appreciate the offer; I really do. But Iruka has given me so much and if I leave, the stables won't have a jockey. And I like it where I am. Besides I couldn't leave Kyuubi."

Black eyes regarded him calmly and Naruto held the gaze. Itachi had figured this would happen, and it proved to be a nice challenge that he would enjoy, but he needed to play out his pieces just right. And luckily, several had already been dropped into place earlier that day.

"I understand."

"Look I-" Naruto stopped and looked at the calm face, "You do?"

Itachi nodded, "Loyalty to the colors you race, Mr. Umino is very lucky to have you for a jockey. You have a lot of talent, and perhaps if we happen to be shorthanded one day you could ride for us. Temporary of course."

"Thanks. And sure, I could help out, as long as I'm not in that race too." He added.

The Uchiha stood up, "We'll keep in touch then, Naruto." He held out his hand.

Naruto leaned forward and shook it, "Thank you for the tour, you have very nice facilities. And I look forward to racing against your brother again."

They let go and Naruto let himself out of the office then went off to find Iruka and the others. Itachi walked outside the office and closed the door. He leaned against it for a while with his eyes closed before he spoke.

"I know you're hiding there Sasuke, you might as well come out."

It was silent for a while before Sasuke appeared in front of his brother with hay sticking out of the black hair.

\--------

It hadn't taken Sasuke long to make it back to his brothers office once the grooms had taken Sanis from him. He had several hiding spots that he had acquired over the years of eavesdropping; allowing him access to news that normally would have taken days for his brother or father to tell him.

He was fairly certain that Itachi had wanted to offer him a chance to race under the Uchiha colors, but after getting into a fight with the owners son, Itachi would more than likely turn him away. It would make his day even better if his brother told the blonde-haired jockey to stay away all together.

After settling into a spot above the stalls, Sasuke crept over to wall that outlined Itachi's office walls. He listened closely and was shocked to find out that the other boy had been in another fight earlier and Itachi didn't care.

Instead, Itachi seemed to agree with the rash behavior, comparing it to his racing style.

Then of course the dreaded question came up and Sasuke had never been happier with the blond when he turned the offer down. Even at the threat of him losing his career, he still chose to place his stables first.

Impressive.

He had to admit that he was amazed. In a sport where jockeys were traded around constantly, a bad comment from an owner or trainer from a respectable source could mean the end of their career, and even the stables he rode for if it came down to the stables owner as well. 

However, his respect turned to disgust again when the blond agreed to help out if the stables needed it. Not that they should ever be so low on jockeys that they would have to turn to some second-rate jockey for help.

After Naruto left, he hung back in the shadows waiting for his brother to leave when Itachi had called him out. He wondered if he stayed still long enough the other Uchiha would leave, but he seemed content on waiting so he gave up and climbed back down to the concrete floor.

Sasuke glanced at him, even though it was hard to pick out his brother in the dark lighting. He couldn't tell if he was mad or just tired from the flight and having to deal with him.

"You didn't do anything to the idiot." Sasuke said after a moment of silence.

"He wasn't the one that started the fight. If I remember correctly, you jumped him first."

The younger raven snorted, "But to still offer him a position. I can't see what's so great about him. He only beat me once."

Itachi's voice was soft when he answered, "Sasuke, trust me on this one."

"Hn."

Itachi smirked, "Anyway, I think the best thing to do right now is for you to apologize to Mr. Uzumaki for jumping him. Tomorrow afternoon will be a good time."

Sasuke stared at his brother, surely, he wasn't serious.

"If you keep staring at me like that your eyes are going to fall out." Itachi said.

"You can't make me." Sasuke said with the standard come back.

There was a pregnant pause before an evil smile spread across Itachi's face. "I think I can Sasuke. I know a certain word that's going to let me get onto a certain web page and make your profile available to everyone."

"Yo-You don't know my password." Sasuke sputtered. "You're bluffing."

Itachi chuckled deeply and walked away, "It's the same as all the others, Sasuke."

He walked off a few steps before a single word caused Sasuke to straighten, "Tomato."

And with that, he left Sasuke to his fuming and the sound of a fist hitting the wooden stall door echoed throughout the stables. He let himself laugh as he walked out into the cool night, sending the grooms hiding as he walked by them.

All according to plan.


	4. Miso

Bright light filtered through the curtains that hung over the windows, casting their light upon sun kissed hair and scarred cheeks. Cerulean eyes slowly cracked open, cursing the sun and the morning that it brought. They slid over to the window wondering why the sun was shinning so brightly at six o' clock in the morning, and it was not until they glanced at the clock did everything finally click.

"Shit!"

Naruto sat up quickly in the bed and threw the covers off the bed, scrambling to get some form of clothing on. After finally pulling some old jeans and a shirt on, he flew down the steps. He made a quick pit stop in the kitchen to grab a muffin before running out to the track where a grey Thoroughbred was cantering around the track.

"Sorry I'm late." He said gasping for breath.

Jiraiya turned to look at him, "Hello Sunshine, glad to see you up."

Naruto scowled, "What horses needed exercising today?"

"None for you," Came the answer, "Sakura mentioned that you have tests this week, so Iruka wants you to study for them. Lee can handle the exercising in the morning; most of them just need an open gallop , besides, that is what we pay him to do. Now go."

The blond trudged back up to the bunkhouse where Gaara was pouring some tea into a cup, "You sounded like an elephant going down the steps this morning."

"Sorry 'bout that Gaara, I forgot that I could sleep in this morning." He stopped, "Were you here when I ran outside?"

Gaara nodded his head as he took a seat and read over the morning's paper, sipping at the hot tea. "I didn't bother to stop you since you seemed so determined to get outside."

Naruto moved around the kitchen table, scowling at Gaara before he dropped some bread into the toaster, and then went off to find his books so he could study while he ate. For the sake of his sanity, he took almost all his classes online, except for one night class that met on Tuesday nights. The online classes permitted him to balance his racing and school rather nicely; provided he remembered to take a quiz or test.

The sound of the toaster drew him back to the kitchen where he dropped his books on the table, then moved to grab the toast. After he put some jelly on top, he carried the plate back, sat down, and began the boring task of studying for his Moral Issue's test. He glanced up at Gaara who was still reading the paper and frowned at him.

"I hate you."

"Why?"

"'Cause you tested out of everything." He answered.

Gaara let a small smile cross his face, "That's because I actually studied when I was younger instead of rebelling."

Naruto grumbled out a reply before the door burst open, blinding the two and a green clad figure appeared in the doorway.

"Good morning my youthful friends!"

"Augh, not the person I want to be dealing with right now." Naruto said and dropped his head on the table.

"What has you so down on this beautiful spring day?"

Naruto lifted his head, and his eyes met with round eyes with thick eyebrows and black hair, "Please not now Lee. I have my Moral Issue's test today and I don't wanna take it." He whined.

The energetic teen flashed him a smile, "Then I shall help you study for it."

"No." Came the quick response, "I, uh, study better when I'm by myself." He threw a pleading look to Gaara, begging for some way out.

"Lee, don't you think Sakura needs some help with the horses today?" Gaara questioned as he set the paper down. "She seemed tired this morning."

Lee's eyes lit up and he bounded to the door, "Good luck on your test later Naruto, maybe later we can study."

The blonde-haired jockey let out a sigh of relief and picked up his books, deciding that it was probably a better idea to study in his room where others couldn't distract him. He thanked Gaara before heading back up the steps and to his room again.

After kicking some clothes off his desk chair and into a corner of the room, he sat down and started studying.

Only to be interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone.

He reached over and flipped the phone open without looking at the caller, and instantly regretted it.

_"I heard you visited the Uchiha's facilities last night."_

"News travels fast." He said tensely

_"I found out last night and tried calling you then, you didn't answer."_

"I know; I saw that you were trying to call and put the phone on silent." Naruto snapped, "What do you want anyway?"

_"What did they offer?"_

Naruto snorted, "Nothing that would concern you, just a chance to ride for them if they're short handed."

The voice on the other line was silent for a while and Naruto checked to make sure that he hadn't lost his signal when the voice spoke again. _"You know that this jockey thing can't last forever, and what are you going to do when you can't ride anymore?"_

Naruto's eyes flashed in annoyance, "I don't tell you how to run your life; so don't tell me."

_"I still have that position open for you if you ever change your mind. It would be wise if you took it now; it's a valuable spot that pays well."_

"Money can't buy happiness, and if you're working all the time, you can't spend it on anything to make you happy because you won't be able to enjoy it." Naruto answered, "Look, I have a test to study for, so bye."

He snapped the phone shut, not caring if the other person was going to say anything else, and pulled his arm back, ready to throw the phone when he remembered that if it broke, he would have to buy a new one. Instead, he picked up a small can that held his pencils and chunked it across the room, and then tossed the phone onto the bed, where it harmlessly bounced across the mattress before dropping to the floor.

Picking up his book, he flipped open to the dog-tagged page and started to read for a while, only finding it hard to concentrate after the conversation. With a sigh, he gathered his books up for the last time and marched out of the bunkhouse, ignoring Gaara who was working on the computer.

He found his way to Kyuubi's paddock where the horse where grazing contently in the sun. After jumping over the fence and leaning against it, he pulled out the book for the last time and began studying.

\--------

The nice thing about the library is the silence. Everything is quiet and when the noise level happens to get too loud those making the noise are kicked out. To make things better, the library offered small rooms where only one person was permitted at a time, allowing students the solitude to study without interruption.

These rooms were Sasuke's haven.

He had his iPod on, listening to random music while he worked on a paper, away from the girls who were trying to ask him on dates, and more importantly; his brother. He planned to stay in the library for as long as he could. This would put him home at a late hour and it would be rude to stop by Eclipse Estates. Besides, it wasn't as though he wasn't getting work done and just stalling, if his brother decided to use that to make his page visible. So far, he had finished his position paper for a class and was almost done coding a project in his computer class.

Ebony eyes scanned the computer screen in front of him and he saved the document before taking a break to check his email. They went wide when he saw that he had over fifty new emails and he wondered if they were from owners who needed a jockey for some races next week.

They weren't.

The mouse scrolled through the new emails, and his eyes quickly ran over the words that seemed to be repeating themselves over and over in all the messages. All of them had mentioned something to do with a cute picture.

_'He wouldn't.'_

With dread filling his stomach, he clicked a link that was attached to the email and nearly let out a cry of rage, but he held it back by only by years of Uchiha practice. Instead, he ground his teeth together and quickly pulled up a website and typed in his user name and password.

_'Incorrect password.'_

"That crazy, psychotic, bastard." He growled.

He typed in another word that his brother might have used but only received the same message. After he ran out of idea's he tried the simplest change that his brother could have tried, by simply adding a number after the word, but after trying over twenty numbers, he gave up.

Shutting his computer, he packed his bag quickly and walked out of the library. He refused to let himself run, but nothing stopped him from peeling out of the school's parking lot and speeding all the way home. A short fifteen minutes later; it would have been ten if he hadn't been stuck behind that old man driving slow, he arrived home. Now he was furious, he hated it when people took their time on the highway, slowing him down.

He made his way through the large house to the second floor where his room was, along with his brothers. He wrenched the door open to his brother's room and found him by his computer with a family photo album sitting on the desk. His brother glanced at the computer screen and frowned.

"You should always knock before entering someone's room. I thought mother had taught you better."

"Not when you go posting pictures on the internet of me." Sasuke hissed.

Itachi finally looked up from his work, "But Sasuke, you looked so cute when you were a baby in your little bumble bee costume." He held up the offending picture for his brother to see.

Sasuke moved forward, snatched the picture from his brother's hand and glared at him, and then the picture. He was barely thirteen months old when his mother dressed him in the bee costume and then went to a Halloween party at a friend's house. Too young to remember the party, but everyone there was old enough to remember and they never let him live it down.

"I was still at school; that went against your threat." He growled.

"Your test should have been finished about two hours ago, and you said that you wanted to ride Sanis today before you studied for a test tomorrow."

"I was held up."

Itachi smirked, "Stalling would be more like it, now go ride Sanis over to the Eclipse property and tell the blond you're sorry; otherwise, your friend lil' pony will posted next to his friend the bee." He held up another picture of him in a pony costume, clutching a stuffed horse with a wide smile plastered on his chubby cheeks.

Sasuke bit his tongue and simply left the room, slamming the door in the process.

Itachi put the pictures away and moved the album onto his bed, reminding himself to replace the book when he finished his work. He knew after this, Sasuke would seek out the pictures and destroy them, but he already had extra copies stashed away for more blackmail or embarrassing his brother when needed. After clearing his desk of the photo's he turned back to the computer and began to fill out racing paperwork.

It didn't take Sasuke long to catch, groom and tack Sanis, and he didn't try to stall either. He figured the best thing to do now was apologize and leave. His brother never said anything about small talk. So all too soon, Sanis was tacked and ready to go as he led her down to the east side of their property.

He had never been on the east side, finding it too thick with trees for his taste, especially when the summer months hit, bringing out the mosquitoes and other annoying bugs that liked to bite. Now however, he found that the far side of the woods was clearer than he originally thought, with most of the lower branches cut away or broken from previous riders. After deciding to let Sanis have a loose rein, he took the time to enjoy his surroundings, knowing that next week; he would poke through the wooded area more thoroughly. Birds chirped softly as they flew around, collecting twigs and moss for their nest, and squirrels chattered amidst the noise.

All too soon, he found himself crossing the wide stream. He had to coax Sanis through the water though, as she refused to put her hooves in the water; like some horses, she didn't like to cross running water.

After finally getting her to cross, he fed her some carrot slices as a small reward, and then continued on his way. Black paddock fences soon came into view and he could see some horses grazing out in the afternoon sun. He could hear voices calling to each other and the squeal of a colt along with the thundering of hooves. Glancing towards the direction of the noise, he noticed two people in a ring with a chestnut horse that was prancing at the end of his lead line.

Sasuke directed Sanis towards the ring to get a better look, soon finding out that one of the bodies in the ring was the jockey he sought, but the other one he hadn't met yet. Sanis let out a whinny as they approached and both heads glanced in his direction, and he silently cursed the mare.

\--------

Two hours after studying for his test, Naruto had finally taken his test, passing it with an 83, making him happy. After another hour studying for different test, he decided to take a break and continue his most recent project. Training Miso.

Miso was the last of Kyuubi's father's; Demon's Treasure; offspring and he was finally old enough to be introduced to the track. He was already saddle broken and knew how to act under a rider, but he had never galloped on the track with other horses. Jiraiya was already at the stables checking over the horses from this morning, when he approached the trainer with his suggestion. After agreeing, they groomed the frisky colt and attached a lunge line so they could quiet him down.

"Was Kyuubi this hard to train when he was younger?" Jiraiya huffed as he fought the rearing horse.

Naruto shrugged, "He almost always listens to me, and it was no different when he was younger."

The white haired trainer tossed the lunge line at him, "You're on your own kid." He said, backing out of the ring. "I have some writing to do right now, so just take him on the galloping lanes to calm him down, and then we can try him on the track tomorrow morning."

"Oh no," Naruto said, "I'm not having Lee ride him on the track. Miso will kill him, and I can't train in the morning because of my exams."

A loud whinny interrupted their argument and he fought back a sigh as he led Miso to the railing where Sasuke had brought his mare to a stop.

"Can I help you Mr. Uchiha?"

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably, "I'msorryIattackedyouyesterday." He muttered quickly.

"What?"

Sasuke sighed; this shouldn't be so hard to do. "I'm sorry that I attacked you yesterday." He finally said a little bit slower. "And if my brother calls, tell him I said that."

Naruto blinked. Of all the things that he expected Sasuke to say, that was not it. But after realizing that he only came because of his brother, he felt slightly angry. He shrugged, "Its okay, you hit like a girl anyway."

"What did you say?"

Naruto smiled as he led Miso out from the ring, "Nothing. I was just kidding." He glanced at Sasuke who was still standing next to Sanis, glaring at him. "Um, I would give you a tour and all, but I need to gallop this guy for a while in the back."

Sasuke shook his head, "It's okay, I was just came by to say sorry."

"Iruka would kill me if he found out that I didn't show you around. After all, your brother did let us see your facilities." He looked around Miso and spied Sakura, "Hey Sakura, want to give Sasuke a tour?"

Black eyes widened in horror, and he quickly shook his head no. "I really should get back, and Sanis would get bored."

"You can let her rest in a paddock for a while." Naruto answered, "Look, I really need to get going; he's starting to get antsy."

Before the other jockey could answer, he climbed onto Miso's back and tapped his sides with his heals, sending the chestnut away at a trot, leaving Sasuke alone with Sakura.

A grin spread across his face as he moved away from the rings, "I win bastard." He said aloud.

Miso flicked his ears back towards Naruto, and then pricked forward again as the signal to canter came. The blonde-haired jockey waited for a little longer before cuing the horse to move into a gallop once they reached the galloping lanes at the back of the property.

As soon as Miso picked up to the gallop, Naruto knew that Kyuubi's father was his sire; no other horse that he knew had the easy rocking motion that the other horse had. It was passed down to all his offspring making them a pleasure to train and race. After letting the colt run down the lane, he led him to the empty track. Normally training was done in the morning, but Jiraiya wanted to wait until Naruto was finished with his exams before they started; he had a talent dealing with all of Demon's Treasure's foals and they responded well to him.

Demon's Treasure was one of the first horses that he groomed and trained when he first started out and he had a chance to ride him before he retired to stud three years ago. Kyuubi was his first offspring and was given to Naruto by Iruka as thanks since he helped to train the stallion when he first starting out and knowing that he would be big on the track. Ever since then Demon's Treasure produced several winners, but none with the talent of Kyuubi, who seemed to mimic his father in almost every way, and now Miso was following suit. It was sad to Naruto though since Miso was Demon's Treasure's last colt, the stallion had to be put down after catching an infectious equine virus.

When they were inside the track, he let the horse sniff around for a while as he took him around the long track at a steady jog. Once he seemed content on the track, Naruto signaled for a gallop, and the colt took off. Wind whipped up the red mane, causing tears to form in blue eyes as the strands attacked his eyes, but he crouched low and moved his hands up on Miso's neck, asking for more speed. Scenery blurred together as the asked speed was given and they came around the corner, making the jockey glanced down to check the horses legs.

A smile flicked over Naruto's face as he stood up in the stirrups, pulling the horse down from his fast-paced gallop. His coat was slightly wet with sweat as they left the track and began looking for Sakura so she could cool him out. They found her reading a book in the sun next to Sanis who was grazing contently.

"Where's the Uchiha?"

She shut the book and reached forward for Miso's lead shank, "I left him talking to Iruka."

Naruto thanked Sakura and then went in search of Iruka, hopping that he hadn't told Sasuke anything he didn't want him to know. He found them inside their second barn looking over their retired stock and the two horses that they used for trail riding. They looked up from their conversation and Iruka smiled at the blond.

"How was Miso?" he asked.

"Energetic as always" Naruto answered and leaned against the wall, glaring at a spot to the right of Sasuke's head

Sasuke held his glare for a moment before turning to Iruka, "Thank you for the tour and the chance to talk business, but I need to be getting back. I have tests to study for."

He turned to leave when Iruka stopped him, "Naruto can go with you."

"What?" They both asked.

"Well, you should always walk your guest out when they leave, so Naruto, you should walk Sasuke to his car."

"He rode over here Iruka, I can walk him to his horse; Sanis, I think her name was." Naruto argued while Sasuke quickly assured Iruka that he would be fine.

"Just take Trickster then Naruto, he needs the exercise." Iruka said and the blond pulled him in close.

Blue eyes flashed, "Why are you doing this to me?" He whispered.

Iruka held the glare, "You did the same thing to Sasuke by sticking him with Sakura while you were out. And don't deny it."

"He started it, apologizing because his brother made him, not because he was truthfully sorry."

"So now I'm making you do the something against your will, congratulations, you're both even." Came the answer.

"Fine." Naruto slipped inside Trickster's stall and clipped a lead line on the horses halter then led him out. It didn't take long to groom him and slip a bridle in his mouth before he gestured to Sasuke, "Let's go get Sanis."

Sasuke nodded to Iruka in one last thanks, and then moved after the blond. He eyed the horse that followed Naruto and noticed that it wasn't a Thoroughbred, but instead a Quarter Horse, the steeply slanting hindquarters giving the breed away quickly. The horse a light chocolate brown, with a darker brown mane and tail and two white socks on his back hooves, white whiskers were visible around his nose, but bright brown eyes showed him that even though the horse was older, he still had a lot of spirit left.

They reached Sanis and she greeted Sasuke eagerly, before he placed the tack on her back and mounted. He noted with interest that Naruto had chosen to ride bareback. "No saddle?" he asked.

Naruto nodded his head as he climbed onto the railing so he could mount onto the Quarter Horses back, allowing his legs to find a position that came natural to him. He sent Trickster off at a walk, Sanis following closely behind. The two road in silence for a while before the Thoroughbred became bored and broke into a trot, passing the other horse, causing him to snort in annoyance.

"So why do you have a Quarter Horse on a racing farm?" Sasuke asked as the bay caught up.

"Quarter Horses are technically race horses as well, they just race shorter distances, thus their name." Naruto answered, signaling the horse to move into a canter, "Trickster is Iruka's old horse that he used to ride, and we've raced him once or twice when he was younger."

Silence settled between them for a while as they enjoyed the easy three beat rhythm that the canter provided. Behind them, the farm was slowly fading from sight as they moved further into the wooded area and the sound of the stream could be heard, allowing the two jockeys to slow their mounts down to a walk as they neared closer. Both horses pricked their ears at the sound of running water and Trickster picked up his pace to get closer to the stream so he could splash through it.

"How'd you get him to go through the stream so easily like that?" Sasuke asked amazed.

Naruto shrugged, "This is the thinnest and shallowest part of the river, if you start them at the smaller parts of the water, they become less afraid, especially if you don't force them through. They have to want to cross it normally on their own accord." He glanced at Sasuke' horse, "Does Sanis not like water?"

"Just running water like this. Give her a bath and she could never be happier."

"So how did you get her here?" He asked curiously.

Sasuke ignored the blond's eyes, "I coaxed her and we went through some carrots."

It was silent for a while making Sasuke look up at Naruto, wondering if he was laughing at him for not being able to get his horse to cross a little river easily. Instead, he noticed that Naruto was looking at Sanis with a questing look in his eyes before he looked back at him.

"Have you ever tried to pony her across?" He asked, "Sometimes that helps."

He shook his head no and Naruto pushed Trickster forward. He leaned over, grabbed her reins, and then let his horse move back into the water again, where it barely covered his hooves and behind him,

Sanis followed with perked ears. She snorted and hesitated slightly but as Trickster continued, she decided once again to follow him and they made their way across the stream without any other problems.

When they reached the other side, Naruto released Sanis's reins and Sasuke stared in amazement at his horse.

"There you go." Naruto said, "Sometimes it helps when they have other horses to lean on, makes them feel more comfortable. Besides, it also helps if you have the confidence in them that they will be able to perform the task you ask them."

"You make it sound like they are human and they know what we're thinking. I know they're smart, but they are just horses."

Naruto shook his head and he turned Trickster around and drew him even with Sasuke until he could look him square in the eyes, "And that is why you will always lose to me."

Ebony eyes hardened and held Naruto's eyes, "Tell Iruka thanks for the tour and that I enjoyed the tour. He's a nice guy." He said stiffly.

"Yes he is; he's like a father to me." Naruto answered.

Sasuke nodded and tried to find the best way to word his next question, "So what about your father?"

Naruto's eyes hardened, "I don't like to talk about him."

An uneasy silence filled the air before Naruto turned Trickster around, saying that he needed to get back to study for a test. Trickster broke out into a canter before Sasuke could say anything and the sound of hooves against the ground filled the air and it didn't take long for the two to vanish from sight. He turned Sanis around and let her trot back through the woods until the farm came into view and he slowed her down to a walk. She was already cooled down enough by the time they reached the foaling barn so he untacked her and led her to a paddock where she went to roll around in the cool grass.

Sasuke found his way back to the house as the sun started to set, casting its light on his back and creating a long shadow in front of him. Once inside he found his brother in the kitchen eating a salad and he glanced at him before going into the refrigerator and grabbing himself an apple.

"I didn't expect you to take that long over there." Itachi said, "Anything interesting happen?"

An eyebrow raised and Sasuke found himself pondering the question, "No. But do horses feel emotions like humans?"

Now it was Itachi's turn to raise an eyebrow at him, "And the reason for this question?"

"None, just wondering."

Itachi shrugged, "I'm not sure, I don't get a chance to ride much anymore so I'm out of tune to the horse's feelings."

Sasuke scowled, "That wasn't the answer I was looking for."

"Life's rough." Itachi answered, "And in case you were wondering, I took the picture off and reset your password back to its boring self."

He nodded; surprised that he had forgotten about his website problem in the past two hours that he had been gone. "What was the password that you had used before?"

A smirk flickered across Itachi's face as he stood to put the bowl in the sink, "Foolish little brother." He said.

Sasuke thought for a moment, "Wait, was that the password or are you just calling me foolish."

"Maybe both." Was his response and Sasuke chunked the apple at his brother's head, satisfied when he heard it hit.

\-----------

Naruto frowned as he let Trickster eat his dinner before trying to find the perverted trainer. Since Iruka had him escort Sasuke home, he had not had a chance to tell him about Miso's training and he was eager to tell Jiraiya what he had found. He found him in Iruka's office talking about the race at the end of the week, but they stopped as Naruto entered the office and sat down in a chair, scowling at Iruka.

"Don't look at me like that." He said, "It's only fair that you be tortured."

"We both were." He said before turning to the trainer, "Since I had to escort the bastard back to the stream, I never had the chance to tell you how Miso's training went."

Jiraiya nodded, "So tell."

"He seems to have the speed and definitely the will to run. He also can change leads without being asked (3) which means less training for us. This colt will follow in his father's line, just like Kyuubi did."

They both nodded and looked at the blond jockey. "On another note, we've booked a ticket for you to fly down to Florida after your last exam. Your flight leaves at ten our time, allowing you to arrive at one or two Florida time."

"That's fine. When do you fly out?"

"We leave Wednesday morning, and don't worry; we'll take good care of Kyuubi while you're gone."

Naruto grinned, "You better, otherwise that horse will never let me forget it."

Iruka laughed, knowing that it was true, even if it sounded weird to people who didn't know the stallion's personality. "Gaara will pick you up when you arrive Thursday; remind him that when you go back to the bunkhouse, and then start studying.

The blond let out a sigh and told the two to have a good night before he headed up to the bunkhouse where Gaara was watching TV quietly while Lee made dinner. He waved at them before heading upstairs to study some more before dinner was ready. As he pulled the book onto his desk, he groaned and wished the week would hurry up and it would be Saturday soon. Saturday was the start of his Spring Break and the Florida Derby. A shiver of excitement ran through his body as he leaned back to read from the textbook and he had to force his mind to focus on his studies for just a few more days.

Then it was sunny Florida, where the only thing that awaited him was a long stretch of dirt and the sound of horse hooves pounding along the track.


	5. The Florida Derby

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please put your chairs in the upright position as we prepare for landing." A too cheerful voice said over the intercom. "We will be on the ground shortly."

Naruto bit back the groan as he tried to stretch in the cramped space but found it hard to do as his legs bumped into the chair in front of him. Instead, he settled back against the chair and looked out the window as they passed through a large, white cloud. A second later, the ground was visible and Naruto could see the ocean on the horizon where people were out playing on the beach in the warm sun.

He had talked to Iruka before he left that morning and had been assured that Kyuubi had made the trip without any problem. To make things better, the weather wasn't having any effect on his performance when they let him outside that morning. The blond sighed as he willed the plane to hurry and land so he could see his horse again; he didn't like to have Kyuubi train under other jockeys since the chestnut could be temperamental with new jockeys and then it seemed the horse would stay mad at him.

He swore that horse was just like a human.

The soft bump jarred the jockey from his thoughts, causing him to look out the window again and he realized that they had landed. He fidgeted while they taxied to the gate and when it came time for his row to exit the plane, he had never been happier. As he made his way to the baggage claim, he called Gaara to let him know that he landed and would meet him out front then threatened him not to be late.

Moments later, he found his language and made his way out front where Gaara was waiting with a rental car. Naruto flashed him a smile as he tossed the bags in the trunk and then climbed in.

"How's Kyuubi?"

"I'm fine thank you." Gaara answered, making Naruto chuckle slightly, "He's okay. I led him around the backside for a while and he seemed to handle everything just fine. Shukaku seems to be handling the track fine as well."

Naruto nodded as they merged out onto the highway that was packed with cars and a comfortable silence fell over the car. After they cleared the traffic, Gaara glanced at him, "I'm surprised you didn't ask who was at the track."

"Why, who's racing tonight?"

"Well Shukaku is racing tonight, and you'll be riding a mare in a distaff and Speeding Violation tomorrow." Gaara hesitated, "The Uchiha is racing against you and Speeding Violation."

A quiet curse slipped out of Naruto's lips, "Why does he have to be every where I go?"

"Why does it bother you so much?" Gaara asked, throwing the question back at him.

Naruto shrugged and was silent for a while, "He just, he pisses me off. Acting so 'I'm better than you' and it's really annoying."

Gaara arched an invisible eyebrow but said nothing as they pulled up to the track and showed the guard his pass before they moved to the backside. As soon as the car stopped, Naruto jumped out and headed for the stalls where he let out a whistle and a head poked out over the stall door.

He let out a whinny of excitement and started to prance in his stall as the blond came closer. When the human was close enough, he thrust his nose into his chest, before allowing his head to drop down and be held. The jockey talked quietly to him and the ears flickered back and forth, taking in the sound that he knew all too well. The voice that encouraged him when he was younger, the tone that he always tried to please when he ran, the one voice that he could pick out over all the others that he heard everyday, and the voice that was the one he trusted above all others. He sniffed at his shirt smelling unfamiliar smells coming from it, but the scent of wheat filled his nostrils soon along with the faint aroma of an apple that he always hid in his left pants pocket.

"That is the happiest I have seen that horse ever. You'd think that he hadn't seen you in over a month." A voice said, making Naruto turn.

"Hey Iruka." He said as he fished out the apple slices from his pocket and began feeding them to Kyuubi, "How long until I need to ride that mare?"

Iruka looked at his watch, "About an hour and a half before you need to weigh in. You'll have to drop your bags off tonight since traffic is heavy at the moment. Also, Mr. Uchiha asked to see you when you arrived."

"Which one?"

"The older one." Iruka answered, "And be nice to the younger one as well."

Naruto snorted, "Fine, I'll go hunt them down. Wish me luck."

Iruka laughed as the jockey walked away, dragging his feet through the dust as he tried to stall for time before he vanished from sight.

\------

"What horses are being raced tonight?"

"Kiba's riding Mobile Sin tonight and Neji will ride Repetition Streak tomorrow and Glory on Saturday. You will be riding Tex-Star tomorrow and Madara in the Derby on Saturday."

"We brought more horses than we have jockeys, have you already booked a rider?"

"Sasuke, your job is to ride; it's my job to get people to ride." Itachi said, holding back a sigh, "And yes, I am working on getting a jockey for Overload tonight. He's going to race against Kiba and Mobile Sin so we'll get a chance to see whether or not Overload can run distance or if he's a sprinter. Now, does that satisfy your worried little mind?"

Sasuke nodded his head and turned to go find Neji so they could go find something to eat. He found the pale-eyed jockey talking to a female with short hair and cleared his throat slightly as he approached. They stopped talking and Neji looked at Sasuke, "Hey, this is my cousin, Hinata. She works as an assistant to Tsunade and is working on her internship. Hinata, this is Sasuke, I race for his family."

Hinata held out her hand, "It's nice to meet you, Sasuke."

He shook her hand then looked at Neji, "Itachi assigned you to Repetition Streak and Glory for the races tomorrow and Saturday. Kiba is racing tonight, speaking of which, where is Kiba?"

"I haven't seen him since noon." Neji answered, "But we should probably go find him."

Neji told his cousin goodbye and the two walked through the barn's looking for the soon to be jockey, but instead ran into another rider. Sasuke stopped in his tracks when he saw the blond hair and quickly prayed that it was another blond jockey, but luck wasn't on his side. Said blond walked over with a slight scowl on his face, giving Neji a quick nod before turning to Sasuke.

"Hey, where's your brother?"

Sasuke continued to stare at him as Itachi's words came back and he found that he couldn't answer. Naruto felt anger rush through him at being ignored, however, instead of fighting; he did something he always wanted to do.

He poked him.

Neji arched an eyebrow in surprise as Sasuke took the poking calmly, although he did see an eye twitch slightly. After what seemed an eternity of being poked in the arm, the blond moved up to the cheek and started to prod at the pale skin. That was when Sasuke snapped.

"What the hell do you want?" He shouted.

"He speaks!" Naruto gasped to the paled eyed jockey, "You seemed dead just standing there, so I was making sure you were still alive."

Sasuke shot him a glare and Neji coughed slightly, "I wasn't aware you had a boyfriend, Sasuke."

The two broke their glaring contest to look at the other jockey, "He's not my boyfriend!" They both stated.

Naruto held out his hand towards Neji, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, I ride for Eclipse Estates."

"Neji Hyuuga, I ride for Uchiha Estates." He said and shook Naruto's hand, "I believe that the person you are looking for is down the aisle way, he should be looking over some horses."

A bright smile graced over Naruto's face, "Thanks, it's nice to see that not all the jockeys here have a stick up their ass."

He walked off before Sasuke had the chance to tackle him to the ground, giving only a slight wave goodbye as he went.

"He's cute." Neji said and Sasuke sputtered. "Not to mention, he has a nice butt."

Sasuke turned, "If you don't stop, I'm going to kill you. He's the one that beat me in Arkansas and the one that Itachi wants to ride Overload tonight."

Neji smirked, "I sense some jealousy."

"I'm not jealous."

"Then you must like him. Those are the only emotions that can cause the way you're acting."

A growl escaped from Sasuke's throat, "It's not love or jealousy, its hate. Pure hate."

Sasuke stomped off to go find Kiba and Neji's smirk grew slightly larger, "Whatever you say Sasuke; I can play this game of yours."

\-------

Naruto found Itachi right were the paled eyed jockey said he would be, and it scared him slightly. How did people always appear right where they were supposed to be? He could never find Gaara or Iruka when someone told him where they went. Must be an Uchiha thing.

He cleared his throat slightly and Itachi looked around the horse he was working with, "Iruka said you wanted to talk to me." He stated, still not trusting the older Uchiha.

Itachi moved away from the horse, "Yes, I trust you remember our conversation last week?" Naruto nodded and he continued, "I need a jockey to ride a horse tonight. I know that you're riding a mare in a distaff early, but Overload's race isn't until later, giving you plenty of time to change."

The blond haired jockey hesitated, the offer to ride an Uchiha horse wasn't that big of a surprise, seeing as they had brought a lot of horses and after the talk last week, he had guessed that eventually he would be cornered. However, the thought of riding against Eclipse in a race made the offer seem bittersweet.

Sensing the hesitation, Itachi quickly reassured him, "Overload won't be racing in any races against your other jockey, and if you place top three, some of the winnings will be yours."

Naruto nodded, knowing that any extra money to the farm would help, especially if he couldn't win the Derby on Saturday. "I'm free." he said, "When is the race?"

"About forty-five minutes after your race. You'll be racing against another of our horses; Mobile Sin, ridden by Kiba. That won't be a problem, will it?"

He shook his head, "No, I always look for a way to beat Kiba."

"Good, I'll see you after your race. Good luck."

Naruto nodded his thanks and left to go find Iruka.

\------

Bright lines shown down on the track as mares pranced across the track field and the crowd moved closer to see the horses as they made their way to the gate. Naruto ignored the crowd, having his hands full with the horse beneath him. She chomped at the bit and swished her tail, upset at being pulled from her stall.

"Sprints." he warned and pushed her forward onto the green turf. She snorted, tossing her head in annoyance but settled into a choppy canter. "Stupid mares in their stupid heats." he muttered under his breath. As if she heard him, she ducked her head and gave a small buck, making Naruto yank her head up as he kicked her forward.

In the stands Sasuke watched, trying to hold back his laughter as the blond tried to get the mare to cooperate. "Are you sure he can handle Overload if he can't even handle a simple mare?"

Itachi gave him a look before turning back to look over the track, "He'll calm her down."

Sasuke snorted but continued to watch.

Naruto gritted his teeth together as the mare tried another buck, fighting against the tight rein. Her coat was covered in sweat, and she was foaming at the mouth already, using her energy to fight him instead of the race. He looked over at the pony rider and gestured him to go ahead. Once they were alone, he stopped the mare, and leaned onto her neck so he was closer to her ears.

"Hey Sprints." he said softly and her ears flickered back to him, "I know you don't feel well right now but if you do well in this race, you're done." He felt the mare begin to relax under him and he ran a hand over her neck, "Just relax, you've done this plenty of times to know what its like, don't be nervous. You know when you finish you'll have dinner ready for you."

At the mentioning of dinner, her ears perked up and she moved forward at a smooth trot, as though the previous fight had never happened. She eyed the track and the other mares as she loaded into the gate and excitement settled over the field. Muscles tensed up and on her back, she could feel the man shifting slightly to give her the least amount of weight on the saddle so she could take off, and there was less pressure on the mouth.

The gates swung open and the mare shot out, powerful legs digging into the turf, ready to run the quick race. Just for Sprints, aka Sprints, was a sprinter; and there was nothing she loved to do more. He let her have her head as she moved out to the front of the pack, knowing that was where she wanted to be; otherwise, she would never bother to gain on the leader. A quick glance under his arm showed that another horse was coming up quickly next to him on the inside of the rail, and he felt a flash of fear as the horse came closer, knowing that the rider had the horse too close to Sprints.

He pushed her away further from the rail to avoid being bumped, but the quick action around the turn caused her to stumble slightly, allowing two horses to pass her. Naruto gritted his teeth and urged her on, hoping that she would continue to run, despite being in the back. Sprints hesitated slightly, before digging in again, surging forward to keep the rest of the pack at bay, but the stumble had put her back far between the leaders, and she crossed the wire third.

Naruto slowed her down and gave her a pat on the neck, happy that she at least continued to run even though she wasn't in the lead. He dismounted and handed the reins to Sakura who took the mare to the backside to cool her down, then went to the jockey's room to change. The Florida weather was too hot for his liking and he was sweating through his silks, much to his dismay.

Iruka met him at the entrance to the stables and they quickly talked about the race before the older man sent him off to go find Itachi so he could change into the Uchiha's silks. Naruto let out a sigh as he moved into another barn where the older Uchiha would be, he was glad that Iruka understood why he agreed to Itachi's request, but still felt a twinge of guilt.

He noticed Sasuke standing outside on of the stalls, his back towards him as he talked to someone inside the stall. The thought to poke him in the back of the head popped in Naruto's mind, but he pushed it aside and decided to be civil instead.

"What'cha doing?" he asked, standing right behind Sasuke's back.

To Naruto's disappointment, he didn't jump or scream, but instead turned around and glared at him before turning back to the horse inside the stall. "Are you sure that you can handle Overload, when you can't handle a simple mare?"

Naruto snorted, "Just for Sprint's is not just a 'simple mare', she has an attitude. You two would get along great, should I set up a date for you?"

"Hn."

"You calmed her down nicely though," a voice said from inside the stall, "What did you do to her?"

The blond poked his head around Sasuke's head to find Neji standing in the stall with a lightly colored bay horse. "Not much, just talked to her." he answered, wrinkling his nose slightly as Sasuke's hair tickled his nose and the smell of spice teased his senses, threatening to intoxicate him.

"Idiot, do you think you could get any closer?"

"Yep." Naruto answered and pressed his body against Sasuke's, and brought his head closer to Sasuke's head so his breath ghosted across the shell of Sasuke's ear when he spoke. "How's that?"

Sasuke shivered slightly as the heat from Naruto's body connected with his cooler skin. He shook himself out of his trance and elbowed the other jockey in the stomach. "Go find Itachi so you can get ready to race."

Naruto flashed him a bright smile and walked off to find the older Uchiha again, leaving the younger one feeling a little cold.

\------

"Fox face, you ready to lose?" Kiba asked as Naruto appeared in the saddling area. He was standing next to a large, steel gray stallion called Mobile Sin, and next to him, Ino was holding Overload, a slightly shorter Thoroughbred stallion that was a dark brown color.

"In your dreams, dog breath." Naruto answered as he adjusted his helmet.

They grinned at each other before turning to Itachi as he came up to give them their last minute prep. "Kiba, you already know how Mobile Sin runs, so run him like we train. Naruto, Overload is typically a sprinter and this is his first distance race, so try to rate him for the first part of the race, otherwise he might burn out."

Naruto nodded and accepted the leg up from Ino, then glanced down at Itachi once he was settled, "Anything else?"

"You might want a whip." Sasuke said and held it out to him, "Overload might not make it all the way through and will need some encouraging."

The blond shook his head, "I won't need it."

He tapped Overload's sides and sent him out onto the track before Sasuke could say anything. Once on the track, he allowed Overload to stretch out into an easy trot and spoke softly to him. "So Overload," the horse's ears flickered back to him, "I think you can run distance just as well as you do sprints. What do you think?"

The horse bobbed its head, and broke into an eager canter, before Naruto slowed him down as they approached the gate. He entered calmly, and the jockey ran a soothing hand over his coat, feeling the muscles ripple under the skin as they prepared to spring into action. Across the rest of the track, silence had fallen except for the distant murmur from the stands.

When the gates swung open, eight powerful Thoroughbreds sprung for the lead, and ahead of the pack, Naruto could see Kiba with the lead spot and the rail. He allowed Overload to move closer to the pack as they settled into their spots and held the reins lightly, not letting the horse try to sprint away. Overload however, seemed to understand that it was a longer race and allowed himself to be rated until they were almost down the backstretch before asking for more rein.

Naruto glanced up and maneuvered the stallion into an opening, settling him the fourth position, before sending him forward again as another position presented itself. He could tell that Overload still had more to give, and pushed him closer to the front until they drew close to Kiba and Mobile Sin as they rounded the corner. Now that they were out front, the horse didn't want to slow down and Naruto let him have his head, pushing his hands up on the neck.

Overload shot forward, switching leads as they moved down the homestretch, but Kiba was still ahead by half a length. As the wire approached, Naruto let the reins slip through his fingers a bit more and the horse took the extra rein and began to stretch out before the wire flashed over them. As they moved past the homestretch and into the turn, Naruto ran a hand over Overload's neck and he slowed him down and caught up with Kiba.

"I have never seen that horse stretch out like that." Kiba said, "We almost didn't keep you off our tail, it's a good thing Mobile Sin is a closer."

Naruto laughed as he led Overload back to railing where Ino was waiting to take the horse and cool him out. "He runs nicely," He told Itachi when he dismounted, "I should have let him out sooner though."

"Despite that, you showed that he can run the distance when needed, and without the need for the whip. I'll remember that." Itachi said.

The blond grinned and thanked Itachi for letting him ride before heading back to the jockey's room to change. He couldn't wait to shower and go to the hotel so they could eat; he was starving, and ramen sounded good right now.

XXXXXXX Friday XXXXXXXXX

Naruto eyed the horse in front of him; it eyed him back and for a second, neither moved nor blinked. "Naruto, stop trying to win a staring contest with Shukaku, you know you'll never win." Gaara said, breaking his concentration and making him blink

He let out a sigh and looked away from the horse, knowing that Gaara was right. Shukaku was the most stubborn animal he had ever met, and that was saying something since he had met many animals in his lifetime. The horse was scheduled to race in an half an hour and was receiving one last look over before Gaara went to go get ready. About fifteen minutes after Gaara raced, he was scheduled to race Speeding Violation against Sasuke.

After scanning the listing, Naruto believed that someone must have been working to pit the two stables against each other when he noticed that Neji was scheduled to race against Gaara with a horse named Repetition Streak. Shukaku however seemed ready to race today. He was calm and collected as Gaara talked softly to him, one ear cocked to listen to him while the other swiveled around, listening to his surroundings.

"I think he's going to well today." Gaara said after a few moments of silence and Naruto nodded.

He wished him good luck before turning to head out onto the track, giving Gaara some alone time before the race to calm his nerves. He found Kyuubi grazing in a small pen that they had brought along for the trip. Kyuubi took a few more chomps at the patch of grass before coming closer to the fence to sniff at Naruto, asking for some slices of carrot, only to find none in his pants pocket. He snorted in disappointment and turned back to the grass, his tail facing Naruto.

"Aw, Kyuubi, don't act like that." He whined, but Kyuubi just swished his tail. "Spoiled brat."

Kyuubi didn't answer so Naruto let him graze and continued out towards the track where some claiming races were finishing up on the track. Iruka was looking for a new mare to buy but so far, none had caught his eye, and he didn't like to purchase new stock without consulting Jiraiya or the other trainer first. Jiraiya was nowhere to be found and was probably off flirting with someone.

After looking around the track for a while and finding nothing of interest, he headed back to the stabling area where Shukaku was getting ready to be led out to the saddling area. Gaara was no where to be found so Naruto figured that the redhead was changing into his silks and decided that he needed to get ready as well; slightly upset that he wouldn't get to watch the race in person. He made his way to the jockey's room where several other jockeys were playing pool and foosball.

Neji was already changed and making his way to be weighed when Naruto entered the room and he briefly wished him luck before finding Gaara.

"Have a good race out there." He said, "I won't be able to watch, but I expect a win."

Gaara gave him a look that made Naruto smile at him, before the redhead left to go weigh in as well; leaving Naruto alone and bored. However, fate has a funny way of fixing things when Sasuke walked into the room a few minutes after Gaara had left.

Sasuke glared at him briefly before turning to go change into his silks, not wanting to be in the same room with the other jockey, but as he changed, his mind flashed back to the previous day when the blond had invaded his personal space and he shivered slightly trying to push the thought away. When it wouldn't leave, he turned to the blond jockey angrily, "Why the hell did you go and hug me yesterday?"

"What?"

"Yesterday right before your race, you hugged me."

Naruto starred at him, "No, that was just something to annoy you." He cocked his head, "Do you want a hug?"

"No!"

"That's a relief; it would probably be like hugging a tree, and I bet you suck at giving hugs as well, no upper body strength. It's a surprise that you can handle horses at all."

Sasuke shot him a look but Naruto had turned his back to him as he lined up the pool balls and took a shot. He found his eyes tracing the features of the blond jockey until said jockey bent over, lining up the balls on the table. 'Damn Neji.' He thought as his glaze drifted down towards the butt in front of him and a small blush crept up onto his cheeks.

Before he could do anything, the door opened and an official announced that the next race was fifteen minutes away and jockeys needed to get ready. Sasuke slung his bag into a locker before making his way towards the door to be weighed; glad to finally clear his mind and focus on the race ahead. After weighing in, he moved outside and found his brother waiting for him as Shikamaru held his horses head in the saddling area. Next to him, he noticed Sakura holding a horse with an orange saddlecloth and inwardly, he groaned.

"Tex-Star was tender this morning on his mouth, so don't yank too much out of the starting gate." Kakashi told him, giving him a leg up, "Don't let the blond get to you."

"Why would he?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi just smiled, his eyes curving up into a small upside down 'U' and patted Tex-Star's shoulder. "Good luck."

He pushed Tex-Star onto the track and looked down at the horses' neck, "Okay, T-Star." He said to the horse, "Let's see what you can do."

\-----

Iruka looked at Naruto after Sasuke left, "Okay, Speeding Violation likes to be a front runner, but this is a longer race than he's used to and you know he doesn't like to be rated."

The jockey nodded as he adjusted his seat, "I'll make him pay attention this time, but if he can't focus then I think we should stick to sprints for him."

He nodded and patted Naruto's leg, allowing the horse and rider to make their way out onto the track. They had drawn a good gate position but the race was four furlongs longer than what Speeding Violation was used to and tended to get bored when he was rated during the long races. Naruto had his work cut out for him today.

\------

They made their way to the starting gate and loaded quietly with the rest of the horses; a few seconds later the gates swung open and the pack shot out. T-Star broke slowly and ended up being boxed into the sixth position, but Sasuke could see the gap he needed on the outside and quickly maneuvered him to the far side of the pack, giving him a clear shot to move into fourth as they moved down the backstretch.

Ahead of them, the lead horse was holding three lengths off the rest of the pack, with the next two horses fighting for second. As they made their way into the turn, the pack stretched out, and Sasuke gave T-Star his head, allowing him to move forward past the third place horse and closer to the second ranked horse. Beneath him, T-Star was running smoothly and he released the reins some more, allowing the horse to move ahead the second rate horse.

The lead horse was beginning to tire, allowing T-Star to catch up with the lead horse that was slowly dropping back as they made their way out of the curve and into the homestretch. Sasuke could tell that the horse was ready to change into one more gear and allowed him to have his head as they finished coming out of the turn.

Soon, he had pulled even as they made their way down the homestretch, and with a quick flick of the whip, they nosed past the jockey as they swept under the wire, a little less than half a length ahead of the horse with an orange saddlecloth under his saddle.

Sasuke allowed himself a small smile, but inside he was cheering and dancing, glad to have beaten the blond jockey, even if it was a small race.

XXXXXXXX Saturday XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hot, dry air blew across the track, kicking up the loose dirt, stinging people's eyes. Inside the stables, the horses shifted uneasily as the winds continued to blow outside. There was a storm kicking up for late in the afternoon, and already, the dark clouds could be seen off in the distance. The meteorologist predicted that the storm would not hit until later that day when the races were finished, but they were not always accurate.

Naruto stared out the window from Kyuubi's stall, watching the clouds move in, covering the sun in patches of gray. He was worried that it would pour before the last race, making the track muddy and wet. Kyuubi could run in the mud, but he never ran well enough to place in the top three where the money would be distributed. And this was a race they needed to win.

He heard the stall door open behind him and knew Kyuubi was back from his walk with Sakura in an attempt to calm him down. After the door was shut, he waited for his horse to come over and nip at his hair, allowing his warm breath to calm his own nerves.

It wasn't Kyuubi's breath though that breathed down his neck.

"Scared of a little storm?" a quiet voice asked behind him, arms trapping him against the stall wall.

"Bastard, what are you doing?"

"I believe it was you who said that my hugs probably sucked, I just want to prove you wrong."

Naruto snorted, "I think you enjoyed it yesterday, if you ask me."

"I didn't, I was just slightly cold."

"Hm." Naruto didn't bother to answer, finding Sasuke's presence calming his high-strung nerves.

Sasuke leaned in closer, enjoying Naruto's unique smell, and his breath moved down the jockey's neck, "Now you're the one that's not saying anything, and if I didn't think any better, I would say that you enjoy this as well."

There was a snort behind them, causing them both to turn around. Kyuubi's head was poked through the stall door, dark, intelligent eyes studying the two humans in his stall, and outside the enclosure, Sakura's voice was heard. Naruto moved forward and grabbed the horse's lead rope from Sakura's hand, flashing her a smile, "How's he doing?"

"Much better, you have a little under an hour until your race, you should probably get ready to change and weigh in."

He nodded, "Thanks Sakura."

She smiled back at him and left to go get something to eat. After she left, Naruto opened the door and gestured for Sasuke to leave, "I didn't tell her you were here; consider yourself lucky. Now, if you would be kind enough to leave."

Sasuke moved past Naruto and Kyuubi, "Thank you." He said tightly before leaving to the other stable.

Once he was gone, Naruto led the horse back into the deeply bedded stall so they could relax before they needed to get ready for the race. He dropped against the corner and Kyuubi came over to sniff at him. The human had a different smell to him that almost blocked out the scent that he knew so well, but it was still there underneath the new smell. He huffed contently into the blonds' hair and Naruto raised his hand so he could run it over Kyuubi's soft nose, enjoying the peace and calm that his horse brought to him. Outside on the track, the crowd was cheering as a winner was announced from the most recent race, but Naruto ignored them, as he closed his eyes and focused on the chestnuts soft breathing, bringing the jockey peace of mind while the outside world was anything but calm.

\------

"Good Afternoon ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Gulfstream Park, here in Hallandale Beach, Florida; where we will be running the 57th Florida Derby!" a loud voice over the PA system called out. "The horses are getting ready to make their way into the saddling area where the jockey's will be meeting their mounts in a few moments. Remember that winners of this Derby usual go on to contend in the Kentucky Derby. We will have a large field today with fourteen horses competing for the one million dollar prize money and we have several contenders who are primed and ready for this race. And the horses are entering the saddling area."

Naruto squinted as he walked out of the weigh in station and onto the track. Dirt was still being tossed around and was getting in his eyes; today's race was going to be a dirty one, and he hoped it would not affect Kyuubi. The horse however seemed fine, tossing his head around and facing the wind, allowing his mane to be tossed about. Naruto laughed as he approached the stallion and ran a calming hand over the horses' neck.

"Okay Naruto, its nine furlongs, just like the Arkansas Derby. He's more rested than he was in Arkansas, but still rate him so he doesn't burn out for next week."

The jockey nodded and accepted the leg up from Jiraiya, then grabbed the reins, before leading the stallion out onto the track.

\-----

Sasuke looked at the horse in front of him and felt a frown tug at his lips. Madara was wound up from the tension in the air and by the coming of the storm; sweat covered his coat, making it look darker than normal and the whites of his eyes were showing as he looked around the saddling area. Ino was doing her best to calm the horse, but he was ready to get out onto the track and run.

"Take it easy on the way to the gate; don't let him break free of the rein." Kakashi told Sasuke once he was settled on top of the horse, "He's ready to go, but the storm is affecting his mood; hopefully, when he starts to race, he'll calm down some."

The jockey nodded and let the horse trot out onto the track, where the wind was blocked from the large grandstand and Madara settled down slightly. Ahead of him, he could see the blond jockey letting his horse drop down from a canter to a trot as they neared the gate. His horse looked calm and alert, ears perked eagerly as he pranced across the track, and Sasuke felt a twinge of envy at how the horse responded so well to him.

Naruto looked over at him as they circled nearby and flashed him a friendly smile before leaning forward to talk to Kyuubi making Sasuke shake his head. 'Who talks to their horse like that?' he questioned, 'They're just animals that run for us.'

He led Madara into the starting gate and quiet had settled down over the track once again as the remaining horses were being led in. Behind him, he heard a loud whistle, along with the yelling of the gate operators as a horse refused to load. Inside the gate, the horses started to shift around nervously, anxious to get out of the small confining space and onto the open track. Finally, the horse was loaded, and after a moment or two of waiting; the gates sprung open.

Madara broke well compared to T-Star's break yesterday and they surged forward onto the track, easily taking second in the pack. Behind him, the pack was crunched together as the other horses fought for a spot on the rail and tried to get into a better position. To the other side of Sasuke, another horse had broken free of the pack and was moving up on his right as they made their way around the first turn, leaving the grand stand behind.

In the middle of the pack, Naruto searched for a position as they moved around the turn and the pack started to spread out more. Kyuubi was running well underneath him and was asking for a little more rein, and ahead of him, a spot had finally opened. He angled the horse to the position and gave him a little rein so he could pick up speed. He was now positioned close to the outside but still close enough to the inside so Kyuubi did not have to run more than needed around the wide turns. As they moved down the backstretch, more horses began to drop back as Kyuubi passed them, slowly gaining on the three horses in the lead.

Ahead of him, the number four horse was fading quickly despite the urging from his jockey and the whip as they began to move into the final turn. Naruto felt everything slow down for the briefest of moments, wondering if he asked Kyuubi to stretch out now, if he could hold for the rest of the race. He leaned forward, "Kyuubi, will you run for me on this one?"

Kyuubi's ears flickered back to him, taking in the calm words, though underneath them he could detect the concern for him. He could feel the cool hands on his neck urging him forward still, knowing that he would not let him out too soon if he did not think he could pull out the win. The voice called his name one more time, and Kyuubi never hesitated.

Naruto felt the horse switch leads as they move around the turn, and he released the reins more to give Kyuubi his head. The chestnut took the extra rein and dug into the ground, his stride quickly eating up the track as they caught up with the leaders. The jockey laced his fingers into the mane as they picked up more speed, and he feel his heart pick up as underneath him, Kyuubi began to stretch out into a ground eating stride.

Sasuke peaked under his arm as turned into the homestretch. He was holding second at the moment but Madara was slowing down, having used most of his energy earlier during the day; freaking out over the upcoming storm. The sight of a chestnut colt coming up fast made his heart sink; there was no way his horse could keep pace with the upcoming colt, but he could still try. Madara was an Uchiha horse, and they did not quit without a fight. Sasuke flicked the whip and beneath him, Madara picked up speed, but only slightly; his breath coming fast and flecks of foam covered his chest and mouth.

It didn't take long for Kyuubi to catch the dark bay colt and pass them, but now his sights were set on the black horse in front of him. He could tell that the jockey was trying to hold him back but he fought against the rein, asking to be let out more, and a heartbeat later, he had the rein that he asked for. The quarter pole was coming up quickly, which meant he had less than two furlongs to catch the lead horse, but Kyuubi wasn't slowing down. The chestnut had found another gear and was moving forward, catching the lead horse as the quarter pole flashed by; one furlong to go.

The stadium was going crazy as the chestnut colt started to pull away from the black horse as they continued to the wire, gaining a half a length lead before sweeping under the wire. He held his head up as they continued around the track and they jockey began to slow him down, making sure that he was all right. Calm hands ran along his neck and he could feel some weight on his neck as the jockey leaned over to embrace him.

"Thank you Kyuubi." The voice said softly, "You're the best horse a jockey could ask for."

Kyuubi nickered quietly, enjoying the calming voice that spoke to him as they made their way back to the winners circle where, even though it would be chaotic around him for a few moments, his human would be with him to keep him safe; always and forever.


	6. The Santa Anita Derby

On the west coast of America, waves lapped against the sandy beach and against the rising sun; two figures were moving along the beach. It was still early; the sun was still rising and no one else was on the beach, the perfect time to be alone and do things that are illegal or deemed morally wrong by certain groups in the public eye.

These things being exercising horses on public beaches.

"I love the beach."

"I hate the beach."

Naruto spared a glance back to the redhead before looking ahead at the endless stretch of sand. "But you like to make sand castles."

Gaara snorted, "Only when I'm in the confines of a shady area; I hate the public aspect of it. I never tan, so people stare at me and it annoys me."

"Interesting, you remind me of Sasuke. Except I don't think he likes to play in the sand."

Kyuubi was too far ahead of Shukaku so Naruto didn't see Gaara roll his eyes at the mentioning of the younger Uchiha. They hadn't seen the Uchiha brothers since they left Saturday night to head back to Kentucky, where they dropped off some horses before turning around to leave Tuesday morning for California. The blond jockey was excited to in California during spring break and was attempting to make him have a good time as well.

"Well, we still have today and tomorrow to just enjoy ourselves until we need to race on Friday and Saturday." Naruto said as he pulled Kyuubi down into a trot so Shukaku could catch up.

"Then I have plans to stay in the hotel room for those two days." Gaara said, "California is too crowded for me, I like the peace and isolation we have at home."

Naruto nodded, "True. Besides, I don't think the air is all that great for the horses. Speaking of which, we should let them gallop for a while so we can get ready to head back to the track and let them rest."

They moved the horses into a slow gallop, allowing them to move easily through the shallow water that brushed against the sand. Kyuubi had recovered nicely from his win at the Florida Derby but the jockey wasn't taking any chances by letting him into a faster pace for fear of injury. After a couple minutes of the smooth gallop, they slowed them down to a walk so the horses could cool out. The sun was almost done rising and they didn't want early bird beach goers to bother them.

Once the horses were cooled out, they loaded them onto the trailer, and drove back to the track, leaving the sandy beach behind.

\-------

"I have sand in my boots now." Gaara complained to Naruto as they led the horses back into their stalls.

The blond just smiled at him as he closed Kyuubi's stall door, checking the lock before leaving. All around them, horses were coming in from the track and grooms were rushing to exchange tired horses with fresh ones for the exercise riders. The calls for breakfast were loud in the barns as well, and Naruto could hear his stomach crying for food too.

"Let's go get breakfast; that will make you feel better." Naruto said, and hid a yawn behind his hand, "And then I think I'm going to go take a nap. I didn't sleep well last night."

Gaara agreed with the other jockey and they headed back to the Bed and Breakfast they were staying at for the week. Iruka was already in the cafeteria, talking with the white haired trainer when they arrived. They greeted each other before sitting down and ordering something to eat.

"Jiraiya, what are you doing up so early?" Naruto questioned, "You were out so late last night, doing 'research.'"

The trainer grinned, "Just finding different ways to get my books published; need to have a side job so I can retire with enough money to live in Hawaii."

Both jockeys groaned and rolled their eyes. They had heard Jiraiya's speech several times over the past week at Florida, and if they had to hear it one more time, they were going to go insane. Thankfully, for the trainer, breakfast arrived, and the only sounds were the clinking of silverware against the plates. When they finished, they thanked the two older men, and headed back upstairs to their rooms to go back to sleep.

Getting up at five tends to make one tired.

\-------

Sasuke adjusted his dark sunglasses on his face and tried to keep close to his brother. At the same time, he was trying to make it seem like he wasn't trying to use him as protect against the female population that squealed over him. Itachi's cold glare kept them at bay, but a few brave ones tried to get close enough to them to make small talk while they checked into the hotel.

"Why are we here again?" Sasuke asked as they waited for the receptionist to print out their bill.

Itachi glanced at his brother, "Because there are several claiming races at this Saturday's race. Not to mention, Kiba and Neji both need to get a few more rides in before the summer season comes to a close." He hesitated, "And you could always use the practice as well."

"Hn."

"Besides, if that 'idiot jockey'; as you claim him to be, can beat you; then you have a long way to go."

Sasuke was silent, willing his temper to stay calm, but it was hard. He had been handling the whole situation fine after last Saturday, trying not to dwell on the race, but everyone seemed to want to talk about it. "He's racing this weekend, isn't he?" Sasuke bit out after a while.

A smile formed on Itachi's face, "But of course."

"If I didn't know any better, I would say you were stalking the jockey." Sasuke answered; amusement in his voice.

"Well, I have good taste then." Itachi answered as they headed to their rooms, "The blond is nice on the eyes."

Sasuke snorted at the comment, but inside, he had to admit that both Neji and his brother were right; the blond was attractive.

\-------

After a two-hour nap, Naruto was wide-awake and bored. Gaara had been reading a book while the blond searched the TV for something to watch for the past ten minutes, only to find it full of nothing but talk shows and soap opera's; something neither wanted to watch. After making his way through the channels for the third time, Naruto turned the TV off and stood up.

"Let's go do something; I'm bored."

Gaara glanced up from his book, "We are not going to the beach." He stated firmly.

"Who said anything about a beach?" Naruto questioned, and ushered Gaara out of the door.

Twelve minutes later, they found themselves outside of a large mall. "This isn't any better." Gaara said.

Naruto grinned at him and they went inside, trying to decide where to poke around first. Neither was in the mood for clothes shopping with Sakura, and the movies that were out didn't start playing until a later time. However, they did find a Borders bookstore and proceeded to waste an hour and a half browsing through books. After leaving Borders, they wondered around for a few more minutes, before they spotted some familiar faces sitting in the food court.

Despite Gaara's warning, the blond snuck around a large potted tree, wanting to try to scare the group of people. He crept closer to the one with black hair, brought his face close Sasuke's ear, and just waited, while the people around him tried to hide their laughter. Finally, Kiba couldn't take it any more and started to snort, before breaking into a laugh that set off the whole table.

"What?" Sasuke asked, annoyed, but no one answered. Finally, he noticed that their eyes were looking at something over his shoulder and he turned to see what it was. He was met with a face too close to his and he let out a yelp, before toppling out of the chair he was sitting in; causing the table to start laughing again.

Naruto took the empty chair and looked down at Sasuke, "Hey."

"What the hell?" He asked, holding a hand to the back of his head.

"Just wanted to say 'hi'."

"Hn."

"So when did you guys get in?" Neji asked, drawing the attention away from their argument.

Gaara came up and sat down with them, shooting Naruto a look, "We came in yesterday; it was his idea to come here though. Something about being bored."

"We want to go to the beach later this afternoon if you want to come with us." Kiba asked only to be kicked in the leg by Sasuke.

Naruto shook his head, "I'd have to see if we have plans for this afternoon, but I don't think Sasuke wants me to come."

Sasuke growled and shot the blond haired jockey a glare, until Neji leaned over to whisper in his ear, "I bet he looks good in a bathing suit."

Sasuke sputtered and forced his blush down, trying not to picture the image in his mind. After successfully pushing the image away he stood up and told the table that he needed to get back to the hotel to take care of some things, then left, shooting Neji one last glare. Comfortable talk resumed around the table for a while until Naruto decided to go buy something to eat, upset that they didn't have ramen.

Once he was gone, Ino leaned forward, "Okay, shall we place bets on which one breaks first?"

Neji smirked, "I say ten dollars that it'll be Sasuke first, and another five dollars that it happens in a month's time."

"No way," Sakura stated, "I agree that Sasuke will break first, but I don't think that soon. I bet fifteen dollars on a month and a half."

Ino looked at Shikamaru, "Are you keeping track of this you lazy groom?"

"So troublesome." He said, but started to write the bets down on a napkin.

Ino looked around the table as the money was placed in the center, "Here are the rules for this bet; we have the bets in place and you can add to them as time goes on, but if your allotted time passes, you need to pay up that amount to the pot. Whoever is the closest to their time, wins the bet."

Kiba cocked his head, "What are you people talking about?"

"We're trying to figure out which one will realize their feelings first and how long it will take." Neji said.

"Oh God, you're trying to hook them up!" Kiba shouted, "And you're taking bets on it?"

Sakura nodded, "So are you in or not? So far we have about thirty dollars."

"Make that forty." Gaara said, placing a ten in the stack, "Naruto will realize it first, but the Uchiha will be the first one to make a move, in about a month and a half."

Ino grinned, "I didn't think about that." She admitted, "Now, should we wager which one tops?"

Kiba let out a groan and slammed his head onto the table, "Enough please!"

XXXXXXXXXX Friday XXXXXXXXXXX

Friday morning was calm and quiet. None of the horses needed an early morning exercise, giving the jockeys time to sleep in after a long afternoon at the beach. Naruto groaned as he rolled onto his side and glanced at the clock, it was only seven o' clock, but he was wide-awake since his body still wasn't used to the time change. After lying in bed for another fifteen minutes and not falling back to sleep, he sat up and stretched. He quickly found some clothes and brushed his teeth before slipping out of the hotel room.

He found his way easily to the track, and made his way to Kyuubi's stall. The giant horse nickered softly as he let himself into the stall and pressed his face against his coat, inhaling the smell of bedding. Outside the stall, some grooms were walking around the aisle ways, gathering food for horses coming off the track, and getting others ready for a quick run. Kyuubi wasn't running until tomorrow and didn't need to be exercised heavily today; a quick walk around the backside would be enough for the chestnut.

"I always know were to find you." A voice said from outside the stall.

Naruto turned around and a smile flashed across his face, "Hey old man. What brings you here?"

Sarutobi smiled at the young jockey, "I was coming back from a trip when I heard that my favorite stable was here racing today and I wanted to see how their jockey was doing."

"We're fine, actually. We won the Florida Derby last week and the Arkansas Derby the previous week."

"Going for the big one, huh?"

The jockey nodded, "Oh yeah. Kyuubi is ready to go for that race. After tomorrow's race, he'll have about a week or so to rest and then we're going to go for it."

The older man smiled, "Well, I know tonight is a claiming race, as well as an auction. I was hoping to talk to Iruka about some mares that I found. One is up for auction and has the makes of a good sprinter, and another one is racing in tonight's claiming race. If we can buy her, I would suggest retiring her and breeding her."

"It's good to know that you take your job seriously unlike another perverted trainer that I know." Naruto stated.

Sarutobi was a breeder for Eclipse Estates and doubled as a trainer when needed, but had been out of the country for the past year. He had helped Iruka take care of the farm after his parents had passed away and was the one that suggested they hire Naruto when he came looking for a job.

Sarutobi laughed, "Jiraiya's doing a fine job from what I hear, and this little demon seems to be handling just fine." He said, gesturing to the horse.

Kyuubi snorted from within the stall, causing them to both laugh and the breeder draped an arm around Naruto's shoulders. "Come on, I want to show you this mare. I think you'll like her. She has great breeding and I want to breed her to Kyuubi eventually."

They walked away from the stall and made their way into another part of the stables, talking about the chestnuts previous races and how he was holding up after last weeks race. Once they reached a stall with a bay mare, they stopped outside the holding area and Naruto looked her up and down.

The bay was resting in the shade, but he could still make out the wide chest and well chiseled head that dominated the Thoroughbred lineage. Her legs were long and thin, supporting a short back and strong hindquarters. He leaned back and studied her a bit more before turning to Sarutobi.

"She looks nice. Do you think we can get a claim on her?"

He nodded, "I still need to show her to Iruka when he gets here, but he knows quality when he sees it."

They moved away from the stall quietly and didn't say anything until they were out of the stable. Once they were in the quiet part of their stable, the breeder pulled Naruto aside and looked him in the eyes.

"Kid, what do you have planned for Kyuubi after the Crown?"

Naruto shrugged, "I hadn't thought that far yet." He admitted, "I was thinking of letting him rest for a while and during that time I would figure it out. Why, do you have an idea?"

"Yes." Sarutobi said, "I was thinking that after the Crown, we could retire him to stud. We already have offers coming in, and if he stands at stud, he'll make almost as much as he does winning races. Not to mention, it will be less stressful for him."

The blond let the words sink in. Letting Kyuubi retire to breed would be great for the horse. Racing normally caused a lot of stress on horses; even those that loved to run were still prone to injury. Kyuubi would still be able to train and run around the paddock's at home, and he would be able to ride him more on trail rides to exercise him.

Naruto nodded, "That sounds good." He said, "I'm sure that our coverer would be glad to come back for a couple months."

"Sarutobi, you're back early!" A voice behind them stated, and they turned around to see Iruka and Jiraiya.

They came forward to shake hands, giving Naruto the chance to slip away, leaving the business talking to the older group. He strolled around the stables casually, looking at some of the horses that poked their heads out as he walked by and nodded hello to some of the grooms that were leading the horses back from the track.

He found his way to the railing where several horses were still being exercised on the track, their owners watching with stopwatches in their hands. He leaned against the white metal pole and his eyes followed a gray horse that was moving along the backside.

"You're Uzumaki from Eclipse Estates?" A gruff voice asked next to him.

"Yes." He answered.

"I'm Sid from White Acres. I need a jockey for tonight's race, are you free to ride?"

Naruto was silent for a while, knowing that he was free, but he had come out to do business for someone else, "I'm not sure, but I know that our apprentice jockey is. He'll be dropping the bug in a few weeks and is a high-quality rider.

"Gaara?" The owner questioned, and Naruto nodded his head, "I don't know kid. I've seen him race, and he does have talent, but I've also heard about what happened earlier."

A frown formed on Naruto's face, "That was a long time ago. Surely you're not going to hold that over his head still."

The owner shrugged, "I'm just looking out for my stable and my horses. But if you're free, I have a mare that still needs a jockey."

"I'll get back to you on that." Naruto answered and moved away from the railing.

He made his way to the backside again where owners were looking over horses that were coming off the electric hot walkers. One of them noticed him and waved him over.

"Are you free to ride tonight?" The woman asked, "I'm Aya and my horse, Celebrity needs a jockey."

Naruto shook his head and gave the woman the same answer as the person before, hoping for a different answer.

Instead, the woman's face darkened, "I'm surprised you even let him race for you, but I suppose every stable needs to have a miscreant once so they know never to hire ones like that again. You will let me know if you have an opening though?"

"Somehow I think I'll be busy." Naruto answered coldly and walked off, not in the mood to talk to anyone.

His plans were foiled when he heard a soft voice call his name. He spun around, ready to yell at whoever dared to bother him, but stopped short when he saw that it was Hinata.

"Hey Hinata, what's up?" He asked, running a hand through his hair.

"Not much. We just finished looking over the Uchiha horses that are running today, and they mentioned that they wanted to talk to you."

Naruto let out a sigh. He was still mad from his earlier conversations, and didn't want to run for anyone that asked. However, if there were anybody that he would run for now, it would be the Uchiha's; just to piss Sasuke off. And he was in the mood to piss the youngest Uchiha off.

"Where are they?" he asked.

Hinata pointed to the right, "Tsunade was talking to Itachi when I left, so they should still be in there, unless their hunting you down."

The blond laughed at the young vet assistant. He remembered her when she was younger and competing against him in shows. Back then, she had been shy and stuttered a lot, but as she grew and turned her attention to becoming a vet, she became more confident in herself and she came out of her shell more and more each year.

"Thanks." He told her and walked off to find the older Uchiha.

It wasn't hard to find the Uchiha's. Just look for all the female grooms and jockeys swooning over two males with pale skin and dark, black hair that looked navy at times. He rolled his eyes as he approached, but a smile crossed his face as he noticed the glare that Sasuke was trying to give the girls. It obviously wasn't working, instead, it made them press closer, trying to ask him questions.

Sasuke scowled as he glared at a girl who was too close for comfort. He needed a distraction, something to get these girls away from him, and unfortunately, his brother had left him, simply saying, "I can't guard you all the time, little brother."

Damn him. Damn him to hell.

But now, he spotted a mass of blond hair from the back of the group. He glanced at the face and felt his eyes settle into the bright blue eyes of the jockey from Eclipse Estates, and he realized that maybe, just maybe; someone up there loved him. Or pitied him.

For a second, he just stared at the blond, before he shook his head out of his stupor and pushed his way through the small crowd of girls. He found himself face to face with the jockey and neither said anything for a moment.

"Uzumaki."

"Uchiha."

"What do you want?" Sasuke questioned.

"I'm here to see your brother, but you look a little occupied to know where he is." Naruto answered.

"Who's your friend, Sasuke?" one of the girls cooed from behind him.

Sasuke turned around and found a bunch of eyes on him like a starving pack of lions, and behind him, Naruto was shaking with laughter. He shrugged and draped an arm over the blond; revenge would be sweet. "He's my boyfriend."

"What? Ow!" Naruto cried as Sasuke pinched him in the arm. The deathly glare that was directed towards him made him swallow his words and quell his desire to punch Sasuke in the face. More so, he could see the desperation hidden behind the glare and he felt his resolve crumbling, "I mean, uh, yeah. We just didn't want to tell everyone, right."

Some of the girls squealed with delight, but the one that had been in Sasuke's personal space narrowed her eyes, "I don't believe it. Prove it."

They both looked at each other, and then back at the girl. "What?"

"Kiss." Came the simple answer.

Their eyes connected again, and they could easily read the words that were running through their minds, 'Ah fuck.'

"You sure?" Naruto questioned, "We don't want to offend anyone."

The girl smiled, "Somehow, I don't think we'll care."

Sasuke swallowed thickly, it seemed that no matter what he did; he couldn't win. He turned to face the jockey one more time, knowing that they wouldn't be able to leave until they did this.

He reached forward, tilted Naruto's chin up slightly and leaned forward, pressing his mouth against the blonds' soft lips. He felt Naruto put his arm around his back, drawing them closer, and Sasuke moved his hand so his fingers threaded through blond locks.

Had it been someone else, anyone else; Naruto would have deepened the kiss, but this time he kept his lips pressed firmly together. But despite the detestation to Sasuke, who was threading his fingers through his hair, even he couldn't deny the fact that the simple kiss was making his blood race and had him craving more.

When the need for air became too great, they broke apart, both breathing heavily with hints of red on their checks. They looked away from each other and back to the group of girls who were giggling. The whispered words of 'so cute' reached their ears, causing them to blush harder.

The girl who had gotten them into the mess was staring at them with a look uncertainty before she let out a squeal. "You two are so cute!"

At last, the group of girls started to break up, leaving the two jockeys alone in the quiet of the barn, with only the sounds of horses to be heard.

"That was the worst kiss I've ever had!" Naruto yelled after he was certain that the pack of girls were gone. "You owe me big."

"Hn."

"Don't you 'hn' at me. I am so kicking your ass tomorrow."

Naruto turned around and left Sasuke. He quickly found Kyuubi's stall and let himself in before sliding down the side, and cursed. Sasuke wasn't supposed to make him feel this way, he was supposed to hate him for being a stuck up prick but he was finding it hard to keep his mind and emotions on the same track.

\--------

"Sasuke did Naruto come by?" a voice asked, breaking into Sasuke's solitude.

He glanced up from the ground and looked into his brother's eyes, "Yeah, he said that he was busy."

Itachi eyed Sasuke, noticing the slight blush on his checks and his mind quickly began to put two and two together. He shrugged and turned away to go find another jockey.

Sasuke dropped his head back onto his knees and hugged his legs tighter; he couldn't believe he had just done that. All to get away from a pack of girls. He'd been through worse without having to do that, but some part of his body wasn't as disturbed about the whole ordeal as his mind was.

\-------

The stands were packed that afternoon as the auctioneer shouted out words a million miles a minute. Naruto's head was pounding as he tried to take in the words and keep up with the pace, but he was finding it harder than he thought. Sarutobi had pointed out the mare that he wanted to buy and she had finally appeared on the stand with the number 791 on her halter. Near the front of the room, he could see the old breeder keeping an eye on the bids, raising his number when needed. A couple more minutes went by before the auctioneer announced the winner.

In the front, Sarutobi turned around and found Naruto sitting on the top bleacher and gave him a thumbs up. The mare was theirs.

\-------

With the mare safely bedded down in a stall, the farm turned their attention to the upcoming claiming race. They made their way to the top of the seating and watched as the horses were lead out onto the track and Sarutobi pointed out the mare. She looked different from when they had seen her in the stall. Out on the track, she was fighting the jockey as he seesawed on her mouth, and her ears were laid back, showing her displeasure.

"Are you sure about this mare?" Gaara questioned as they watch her dance across the track. "She doesn't seem to like the track."

"We're only getting her to breed. She's already four, and should we win her, this will be her last race."

Gaara was silent as the mare was led into the gate and it was silent for the start. The bell sounded and both Naruto and Gaara jumped at the noise, ready to move into action, only to realize that they weren't on the track this time. Naruto grinned sheepishly and Gaara just snorted as the trainers laughed at them.

The field was coming around the corner, and the mare was heading into the turn in second place, but she was off the bridle, no matter how hard the jockey was on her with the whip. She crossed under the wire at a nonchalant pace, and didn't need any urging from her rider to drop down into a trot.

"Come on." Sarutobi grunted, "Let's go get our horse."

They made their way back to the stables where the mare was being cooled out. The jockey and owner were talking heatedly about the race, and their voices floated over to the group as they approached, and the breeder butted in carefully while Naruto moved over to see the mare. She wasn't breathing hard after her easy race, but her eyes were still wide, as if she expected something horrible for her bad performance.

He explained the circumstances to the hot walker, and he handed Naruto the reins and wished him luck. The mare blew out air through her nose at him as he continued to lead her up and down the shedrow, talking quietly to her. Eventually the bay calmed down and her brown eyes focused on his blue eyes as Naruto looked over her again, making sure that she was cooled out enough.

"Alright Naruto, lets get her back to the stall, she needs some feed and rest."

"What's her name?" Naruto questioned.

"Yugito." Iruka said coming up beside them. "Her owner was an idiot. One of those guys who thinks they know how to run a racing operation but has no clue. He lucked out with this mare; her breeding is excellent, her lines can be traced back far enough to match with some great dams and sires."

Naruto nodded and led the mare into her new stall, where she promptly dug into her feed. He backed out of the stall and locked the door behind him, and gave Yugito one last look, then followed the others.

XXXXXXXXX Saturday XXXXXXXX

Dark clouds floated lazily overhead while below, horses were being led around the saddling area and jockeys were meeting with trainers for one last word. Gaara and Naruto sat on the railing and watched as Neji climbed into the saddle of a light bay stallion with three white socks. The older Uchiha gave him one last set of instructions before the jockey pushed the colt out onto the track with the rest of the horses.

Once all the horses had left and were on the track, the two Eclipse jockeys made their way back to the shedrow, where they could finish getting ready. Gaara had already raced earlier that day when the weather was nicer, and was now enjoying some time to himself while Naruto waited for his race. The blond had been silent ever since they had returned to the hotel, and Gaara was tempted to question him, but knew that the jockey wouldn't willingly admit any problems.

He threw himself down on a tack box and sipped at a water bottle while Naruto paced in front of the stalls. The horses had poked their heads out of their temporary homes and were watching as he moved up and down the aisle way, and Gaara was certain that the chestnut was laughing at his owner.

"What's wrong Naruto?" Gaara finally asked after the blond moved past him for the sixteenth time, "Did the Uchiha do something to you?"

To Gaara's surprise, a light blush appeared on Naruto's face at the mentioned jockey, but he shook his head, "No, that's not what's bothering me." Naruto said and hesitated, trying to find the right way to word his next sentence. "I, its just that yesterday I talked to some owners who needed jockeys for the races and I suggested that you ride for them, but it seems that people can't get over what happened. I'm sorry."

Gaara shrugged, "It doesn't bother me Naruto; I'm used to it. Besides, like you, I prefer to ride for Eclipse."

The blond eyed Gaara, disbelief still swimming in bright blue eyes, but he let it slide for the moment. He sat on Kyuubi's stall door and swung his legs back and forth for a while, enjoying the silence of the barn, knowing that in a few minutes he was going to have change. With a sigh, he pushed off the door and waved bye to Gaara before heading to the changing room. The locker room was empty as he changed into his black and orange silks, then grabbed his helmet so he could weigh in, glad that he didn't have to deal with Sasuke right before his race.

He emerged outside a short time later after successfully making it past the weigh in station, and wandered over to Kyuubi, who was prancing slightly. The horse butted his head against Naruto's arm and Naruto placed a calming hand on his nose, enjoying the soft breath from his horse. The wind picked up and the jockey shivered a bit but still focused on Jiraiya.

"Okay, due to the rain earlier the track is really sloppy and slick. You know that Kyuubi dislikes muddy tracks so don't force him to run and hurt himself. We need him to come out of this race for future ones."

Naruto nodded and climbed on top of the chestnut. From his high position, he could see puddles of water still standing on the track and he knew that the race was going to be hard and dangerous today. He led the horse onto the track, and Kyuubi hesitated slightly as his hooves squished in the mud before moving forward again. The horse snorted his disagreement at the track, but he still was ready to run the nine furlongs when asked.

\--------

"Good afternoon, and welcome to Santa Anita Park here in Arcadia, California, where we will be running the Santa Anita Derby. This race is one of the last major races before…" Sasuke scowled as he led Tobi out onto the track and stopped listening to the announcer. He already knew where he was and what he was running; he never understood why the announcers decided to tell him things that he already knew.

He was in a bad mood.

No, that was an understatement.

He hadn't been able to clear his mind since yesterdays little event, but in front of him, it seemed that the blond had. It was a big problem that he sometimes faced and it had cost him a race when he first started out, but he refused to let it happen again this time. He pushed Tobi ahead, pointedly ignoring the Eclipse jockey and made his way to the starting gate. All around him, horses were being loaded and the sounds of the gates slamming shut were loud in his ears. Finally, silence settled over the area and the gates sprung open.

The field moved out of the gates quickly, and Tobi was caught near the back, much to Sasuke's disappointment. The pack of horses was tightly clumped together and there was no way to maneuver into a better position. Mud was being kicked up from the lead horses, and soon his silks were weighed down with wet dirt. Tobi tossed his head, annoyed at the flying missiles that were hitting his face, and for a second Sasuke feared that the horse was going to stop running or drop back further.

He quickly maneuvered the horse to the outside where the mud was less likely to hit and Tobi settled into an easy pace. Ahead of him, he could see the flash of orange and he knew that Naruto had chosen to do the same, which meant that when they caught up, the chestnut would be kicking mud up.

Kyuubi was handling the muddy track better than Naruto had expected. He knew the horse disliked the track and ran poorly on it, but today, it seemed that he had found his footing. After being stuck in the pack for a while, he decided to let Kyuubi pick out the spot that he wanted and go from there, knowing that the horse knew better. The colt had swung wide, hitting the outside of the pack where he could see better and then charged forward, trying to catch up with the leader.

They were five lengths off the leader as they came around the last turn, still running wide, and Naruto checked Kyuubi, making sure that he was still running fine. They were holding a comfortable third place as they moved down the homestretch and he didn't push the horse for more. Running in sloppy conditions was hard on the horses' legs and he didn't want Kyuubi injured, no matter what the amount was that he was running for. He also knew that the horse in the lead preferred to run on wet and turf tracks, so there was no sense in trying to catch him.

The wire quickly approached and they swept under it, with an easy third place, covered in mud. Kyuubi dropped down to a trot, shaking his body like a dog and mud slung off him and onto nearby track officials who let out a cry. Naruto flashed them an apologetic smile then led the horse over to the rail where Sakura was waiting with a blanket.

"He ran well, all things considering." Jiraiya said as Naruto jumped down, "You're a mess, by the way."

Naruto held out his arms, "Want a hug?"

The trainer quickly backed away and Naruto turned his attention to the only person standing close enough to him; Gaara. But a quick look in his eyes promised death if he even tried so he dropped his arms and trudged off to go change.


	7. Why You'll Never Win

"Pull her up!"

There was a loud squeal, accompanied by a blur of gray as a filly shot across the track. The blond haired jockey pulled back on the reins, trying to bring the horses head up and under control, but the mare seemed to have idea's of her own. She ducked her head and gave a powerful buck, making Naruto bite the inside of his cheek as his body followed the motion of the buck. As soon as her hind legs were on the ground again, she leapt forward, trying to take the bit in her mouth and gain control over the person on her back.

Naruto though, was thoroughly fed up and pulled the reins tightly to the right, forcing the mare to circle. They were both covered in sweat, despite the cool morning air, and for the first time, Naruto was wondering if Sarutobi had picked a bad horse.

"This horse is evil!" he shouted as the filly tried to dart forward again.

Frowns creased the old trainers face as he thought of a way to calm the over excited filly down, "Set her up on the backside and then let her out."

The jockey nodded and pushed the gray towards the straight part of the track, where she pranced lightly. Her ears perked forward as the vast track spread out in front of her and she gave a little skip/hop, before breaking out into a fast gallop. Wind whipped up her mane as Naruto threaded his fingers through the coarse hair to help keep balance. She moved around the turn and slowly began to settle into an easy pace before dropping down into a smooth trot, and then came to a stop in front of Sarutobi.

"That," the trainer stated, "is why I bought her." Naruto let out a sigh before taking the mare around to cool her out.

\-------

"And why am I doing this again?" an annoyed voice asked.

"Because if you can't even bring him in to a winning position, you are obviously out of touch with him." Came the smooth answer.

Dark eyes locked onto the animal in front of him and he let out a sigh, "I wanted to go riding today with Sanis."

"In due time, but for now, just watch the run."

Sasuke grunted and leaned against the railing of track. Tobi was prancing along the inside of the ring, ready for one last run before he would get a well deserved rest before his big race next week. Normally, Sasuke didn't watch the practices that the assistant jockeys gave the horses; he didn't see the need to. However, for some reason, Itachi wanted him down at the track today to watch Tobi run; something to do with the race last week.

It wasn't his fault that Tobi didn't want to run. The horse disliked to run in mud and hadn't tried during the race, he explained repeatedly to Itachi, but his brother ignored him. They both knew that his head was not in the race that day, but neither mentioned it to their father that night when he asked about the race. Fugaku had been understanding when Sasuke explained the tracks condition and did not fault him for Tobi's performance, but instead, insisted that they train him some more before his next race.

After their talk with their father, Itachi left the room without a word to Sasuke and ignored him for the rest of the day. Sasuke was confused but shrugged it off, thinking that Itachi was just in a bad mood still from the races and did not think anymore on the subject; until now. It was obvious that the older Uchiha was still mad and was just trying to make Sasuke suffer because of it.

His eyes followed Tobi's movements along the track, noting the way the muscles bunched and released as he moved around the backstretch and into the turn. Beside him; Itachi and Kakashi had stopwatches on the horse, and were comparing times as the horse moved by them. They signaled for Kiba to bring the horse down and cool him out, and Itachi turned to Sasuke.

"Did you notice anything?" he asked.

Sasuke shook his head, "No, this is a waste of my time though. Today is the day I don't have classes and I want to ride Sanis; I won't get the chance next week."

Itachi waved him away and let out a sigh of annoyance, "Foolish brother, he'll never win this way."

"And you think the blond can?"

He let his eyes slid over to the grey haired trainer, "I've seen him race, I know he can."

\---------

Sasuke eased the bit into the horses mouth, then unclipped the cross ties from the halter. He couldn't understand the point that his brother was trying to make, but whatever it was, it was annoying him. Sanis followed him as he led her outside the stable and climbed on her back. 

Her grey ears flickered back and forth, as he found himself leading her to the woods that connected with Eclipse Estates. Not that he wanted to see the blonde-haired person; he was still upset that for the past few races, he had not been able to beat the jockey, and it was hurting his creditability.

The mare shied away from a squirrel in a tree, jarring Sasuke out of his thoughts. He calmed her down and let her pick out a path that she liked while trying to keep his mind focused. He knew that he had to do a lot of things this week since they were going to be away all next week and he would be missing finals, but the professors knew that he was a jockey and had offered to extend his final deadline. However, the finals were not bothering him much, compared to the races from past weeks.

No matter how hard he thought about them, he couldn't figure out how the blond jockey beat him each time.

 _'And that is why you will always lose to me.'_ A voice echoed in his head.

He shook his head, trying to get the blonds voice out, but the sentence intrigued him. Naruto obviously knew something about training since he caught him training that colt a few weeks back; however, if he wanted to find out what he meant, that would mean that he would have to go talk to him. Meaning Sanis would have to cross the stream.

As much as he hated to admit, he couldn't get the mare to cross the stream again. Even having one of the trainers pony her. All it accomplished was leaving both horse and rider frustrated and annoyed that day; not the best way to leave a horse.

The stream came into view and he could feel Sanis slowing down as they approached it. Sasuke blew out a breath and gently urged her forward, but she hesitated. He forced himself to stay calm and moved her upstream, walking through the shallowest parts of the water, trying to get her used to the feeling of water flowing over her hooves. Once he mapped out the stream, he went back to the narrowest part and tried to get her to cross again.

Sanis stomped her hoof and shook her head in a flat out refusal. Now Sasuke was getting annoyed and pushed his heels into her side harder than before, but the mare still refused.

"Sanis, I can't lead you through water obstacles every time we go riding." Sasuke snapped.

The mare snorted and backed away from the stream, but Sasuke would have none of it. His father had told him long ago when he first started to ride that horses were supposed to listen to their human owners, not the other way around, and sometimes you needed to make them see that.

He frowned and reached behind the saddle with his whip, giving Sanis a quick pop on her hindquarters. She let out a squeal of unhappiness but jumped into the stream, and stood unmoving for a moment or two before hesitantly taking a step forward. Sasuke felt bad about the whip but he knew it didn't hurt the horses and was used as a last means.

After they left the stream, he pushed the horse into an easy trot, allowing the mare to once again pick her path, and it wasn't long before the rolling line of black paddock fences came into view. In some of the paddocks, Sasuke could see some horses quietly grazing and he was starting to wonder if anyone was even home, when he spotted movement to his left. It seemed that the blond jockey was home and was trying to get the redhead to join him in something, but no matter how hard the jockey pulled at the others arm, he wouldn't move.

Finally, the blond let out a huff and walked off towards another part of the pasture. Sasuke's eyes followed his movements, curious as to what he was going to do next.

\----------

Naruto pouted at Gaara who flat out refused to do anything, even when he gave him the puppy dog eyes. He couldn't help it that he was bored.

Both trainers and Iruka had left to go make sure their preparations were ready for next week, leaving him alone with Gaara, Lee, and Sakura. Gaara was not in the mood to do anything, and Sakura was busy helping Lee with some of the horses that were still inside the barn. Therefore, he turned to his one and only trusty, playful buddy.

Kyuubi.

He whistled and the chestnuts ears perked up. Once he spied Naruto, he trotted across his paddock and nosed him lightly, making the blond laugh. He let himself into the fenced area and cradled the horses head into his chest before bringing it up again. As their eyes met, the blond blew evenly onto the horse's nose.

Kyuubi tossed his head with a snort as Naruto jumped away from him. He pawed at the ground as the little human grinned at him and coaxed him to follow. The chestnut needed no urging, picking up on the game that his human wanted to play with him. They played it many times before when he was younger; still a youthful colt and just weaned from his mother. His human darted off to the side of the pasture, and he quickly followed his movements, reaching out to nudge the boy, but he ducked under his neck, fingers flaying out to barely touch his coat.

He trotted after Naruto as they moved across the pasture and as the boy picked up speed, so to, did the horse. Naruto once again dodged his reach and he shook his head in frustration as he circled around the blond. His human laughed at his frustration and moved to run to the corner of the pasture, hoping that he would follow. He waited for a moments hesitation to give him a lead, then slowly cantered after him; chasing him continuously around the pasture till he dropped to the ground, gasping for breath.

The chestnut slowly walked up to him and lowered his head to the gasping human, breathing lightly onto his face.

"Kyuubi stop, your whiskers tickle!" Naruto cried and brought his hands up to grab hold of the horse's nose, bringing it closer. They stayed that way for a moment before Naruto puffed air onto Kyuubi's nose again, and then scrambled up.

For some reason, the horse knew that his human had stopped too soon, and he could tell that the game was still on. He, however, had other plans to win at this game, and turned his tail toward the human and walked off. He could hear Naruto calling back to him and the emotion rolled off his small human body, drawing him back to the boy he loved, but he kept walking a bit more. Finally he turned around and saw his boy still standing in the pasture, with a look of confusion on his face, while another boy stood outside the pasture, watching the game.

He waited until the boy turned around, deciding to give him a rest, before he broke out into a canter towards him. At the sound of his hooves, the boy turned around and stared at him. Any normal human would have ran by now, but he seemed to know what he was up to, and he was fine with that. He dropped his speed as he reached the blond, tucking his hindquarters under his body, and bringing himself to a stop before nosing Naruto to the ground.

Naruto laughed from his position on the ground as Kyuubi trotted around him, letting out a loud whiney. "You win this time Kyuu." He said standing back up and running a hand over his horses' neck. From his spot on the rail, Gaara shook his head.

"Only you." He said, "Only you."

"What, you don't play with Shukaku?" he asked.

Gaara arched a non-existent eyebrow and gave him a look that asked, 'Are you crazy?'

Naruto gave Kyuubi one last pat on the neck before leaving the paddock to join Gaara as they walked back to the bunkhouse. "We have company." Gaara said after a while, jerking his finger to the slight hill at the corner of their property where an Uchiha sat on a horse.

"Ah man, I was bored, but not this bored to want him here." Naruto whined and he poked Gaara, "Quick, go get Sakura."

"No, I don't think I will." Came Gaara's answer.

"What!" Naruto screeched in his ear.

The redhead winced and rubbed his ear that Naruto yelled in, "Life is full of people that you hate, you're just going to need to get used to that little fact." He said and walked off. "Besides, I have money on this bet." He muttered under his breath.

\-------

Sasuke watched in surprise as the red headed jockey left Naruto after a quick talk about something and for a second he was worried that they were going to leave. His fear subsided though as the blond turned to his direction and started to trudge up the small hill. Sanis pulled at her bit as she noticed Naruto approaching them, and Sasuke let her walk to meet him.

"What do you want?" Naruto asked him curiously, as he raised a hand to calm Sanis down.

Sasuke was silent for a while, testing Naruto's patience before he dismounted so he could look at the other jockey on equal footing before asking his question "Weren't you scared?"

"Huh?"

Sasuke sighed, "When your horse came at you like that. Why didn't you do anything, he shouldn't be able to do things that could put people in danger."

"It's a game Sasuke." Naruto stated and Sasuke felt surprise wash over him and it was a moment before he could answer again.

"A game." He repeated.

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, I trained Kyuubi since he was a foal and we would always do that. It's sort of like tag, and he would never purposely hurt me."

"Speaking of training," Sasuke started, trying to get to the point quickly, "Last time I came over, you told me that I would always lose to you. What did you mean by that?"

The blond gave him a weird look, "Sasuke, how did you get here?"

There was a moment of silence in which Sasuke gave him a look that questioned whether the blond had any common sense in his entire body. He contemplated giving a smart-ass comment, but bit his cheek; he was here for answers, not to start World War 3.

"I rode Sanis." He answered as calmly as he could.

"I can see that." Naruto answered, his eyes traveling over the horse in front of him, "But, last time we met, she was afraid to cross the stream and only crossed when I doubled with her. How did you get her to cross?"

Sasuke tilted his head to the side, "She wouldn't go at first so I had to use my whip."

Naruto's eyes hardened, "The whip?" he echoed.

"I tried to get her to cross before but she kept balking." He could see the frustration in Naruto's eyes and his mind went back to the time when he raced for them and refused the whip. He could see where this was going to go. "Naruto, horses are meant to listen to us, if she doesn't listen, she'll start to think that she can get away with it."

Naruto knew this was true, however, there were other ways to go about the whole ordeal and he was not in the mood to argue with Sasuke about them at the moment. "That, Sasuke, is why I can't answer your question." He said and turned around, "Sorry you had to come all this way and put your mare through hell."

Sasuke felt his control snap and he reached forward, swinging the blond around, "Do you think you're better than me, that you know something that I don't about horses?" he snapped, "I've been riding since I could walk, and my family has been in this business since before you were born. There is no way that a rookie jockey like you, with only a few wins under your belt can win against me next week. Both my father and my brother have won that race and I'll be the next one to win, not you."

Blue eyes bore into black one, never faltering, "So, who do you race for? What do you race for?"

The question took Sasuke by surprise but he quickly responded, "What kind of stupid question is that? I race to win, for the acknowledgement that I'm better than everyone else on the field that I raced against."

Naruto nodded, "I see. Then I defiantly can't help you like this, and now I'm going to make you eat those words." Determination seeped into his voice, "Even if I don't win next week, I'll make sure that I at least beat you and knock you off your high pedestal that you've built for yourself."

He turned around and headed back to the barn where Sakura was coming from. She met him halfway and looked over his shoulder, "Is that Sasuke?"

"Yeah." Came the short answer before Naruto walked away.

Sakura trotted off towards the fuming Uchiha and he gave her a death glare, but she ignored it. "Sasuke, why are you here?"

"I'm not sure now, but it proved to be a waste of my time." He snapped.

The pink haired girl was silent for a while before carefully asking her next question, "Is it Naruto that makes you this edgy; or are you always like this?"

Sasuke looked at her in surprise, "What?"

She shrugged, "I've seen you on the track before and with your family, and you're normally never this riled up. But whenever you come close to Naruto, you seem to lose it."

"That's because he's an idiot."

"He just does things slightly different and sees things from an unusual perspective, that's all."

"Why are you telling me this?" Sasuke questioned.

"I just think that you should know that, and you shouldn't judge him based on what you see at the surface. You'll find that once you get to know him, he'll be the best friend you could ever ask for."

She patted Sanis on the neck and turned around, heading back to barn where Lee was looking for her. Sasuke watched her as she left and shook his head, _'This whole farm is crazy.'_ He thought and led Sanis back to his Estates.

\-------

Sakura found Naruto slumped across the sofa, flicking though channels. She could tell he was upset about something and she could easily say that it had to do with the argument between him and the Uchiha.

 _'They're like a little married couple.'_ She thought with a silent laugh.

"What's up?" she questioned as she flopped down next to him. "Is the big bad Uchiha being mean to our poor little Naru?" she asked, poking him in the cheek.

He swatted her hand away, still pouting, but answered, "Yes. Go do something mean to him."

Now she let out a laugh at his child like behavior, but she quickly calmed down, "What did he do? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No mother." He said, regretting it instantly when Sakura smacked him upside the head. He glared at her before letting out a sigh, "No, nothing like that, I just thought that he would be different. I mean, for the past two weeks, he seemed so comfortable compared to how he was just a moment ago. Sure, he wanted to win, but I always thought of him racing another way. Now I know that he's just like everyone else that races."

"Naruto, he's probably under a lot of stress. I mean, his father and brother did win the race and he wants to keep up that expectation as well. You can't fault him for that." Sakura said gently, "I know that you two train in two separate ways, but that's the way he was brought up. Do you expect him to change his ways?"

"Yes." He answered, "I can't believe that I thought that." He stopped and Sakura glanced at him.

"That what?" she prompted.

He shook his head, "Nothing." He said stubbornly.

Sakura sighed and stood up, "Come on, it's getting late and you need to go into school early tomorrow to take those finals, and we need help getting the horses in."

Naruto grunted an unintelligent response before standing up and heading out to the paddocks.

"So close!" Sakura exclaimed after he left and she stomped her foot.

"So close to what?" a calm voice behind her asked and she turned around to see Gaara standing in the stairwell.

"To him confessing something, at least dropping a small hint." She said, and her eyes glittered evilly, "Hey Gaara, how much do you have in this bet?"

"Enough."

"How would you like to double your winnings?"

Gaara eyed her for a moment before answering, "What do you have in mind?"

Elsewhere, as Naruto led Kyuubi in for his dinner, he felt a shiver run through his body and he had the feeling that someone was plotting against him.


	8. The Kentucky Derby

_The most prestigious races in Thoroughbred racing; the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont, form the three legs of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. The first leg of the Crown is the most known race in racing and it is held annually in Kentucky, every first Saturday in May. It has been known as; "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" and "The Run for the Roses"_

_Welcome, to the Kentucky Derby._  
\---------

Two tall twin spires atop the grandstands loomed over the large dirt track, casting their shadows across the racetrack. The inside of the turf track was empty for now, but in a few days, it would be packed with fans in funny and weird hats, waiting for the running of the 134th Kentucky Derby. But for now, the stands were empty and a few horses were moving along the track for their daily workout.

Naruto sucked in a deep breath of the cool morning air and let it out slowly as he looked around. Ever since he had started to jockey, he had wanted to make it here; to this one race, and win it. The Derby was still a week away, but the contenders were already arriving to begin their workouts and test the track at Churchill Downs. He shook his head and pushed Kyuubi onto the dirt. Normally, jockeys had other exercise riders warm the horses up during their trail runs, but Naruto preferred to ride Kyuubi himself so they stayed in tune with each other.

Jiraiya wanted the horse loose for the next few days, and had given Naruto strict orders to not push the colt on his warm ups. Kyuubi seemed fine from the previous day's trip to Louisville and was handling the track well. They looked at some of the other colts that were moving by on the inside rail, getting their paces clocked, while trainers and owners stood at the rail clocking the times.

Iruka was waiting for them as they came off the track and clipped on the lead shank. "He looked nice out there, how did he feel?"

"Really good." Naruto answered, swinging down from the saddle. "How did the negotiations go?"

"Well, there are several people who are upset that you're off the market on Saturday, but they respected your terms. Besides, there are always a lot of other jockeys here that are eligible to race."

Naruto nodded, "Thanks Iruka," he glanced at the barn where Gaara was walking Shukaku around the paddock, "What about Gaara?"

The owner was silent, "No. It seems that people still don't trust him, despite his turn around."

"I see." The blond answered as he took hold of Kyuubi's reins and they led him back to the wash rack. "Well, Friday is the Kentucky Oaks and Gaara's riding Lemons Forever; his last race as an apprentice."

"But Lemons isn't even close to the favorite."

Naruto shrugged, "She can be an upset. It's happened before and I know that Gaara can bring her around to finish at the front."

They finished wiping Kyuubi down and Iruka threw a cooling sheet over the horses back before leading him back to his stall for breakfast. The colt dug in hungrily as Naruto added a flake of hay to his net, checked the water and then left the stall. They made their way to the official's room where they picked up The Daily Racing Form and started to skim over the paper. It seemed that most of the riders had drawn the numbers for the earlier races on Friday, but the Oaks still hadn't been drawn, and the Derby wasn't going to be drawn until that Thursday morning.

"We have close to last pick, where do you think we should place her?" Naruto asked as they walked back to the barn.

"I'm thinking the number twelve spot" Iruka answered, "But Jiraiya will want to have a say in this as well."

Jiraiya met them by the cars where he was sipping some coffee and talking to some trainers. He shooed them away as the jockey and owner approached, then gave Naruto a look, "Are you sure you don't want to ride on Saturday? You and the Uchiha are being very sought after."

Naruto shook his head, "I'm fine, if they want an Eclipse rider, they can ask Gaara."

"You and your theories." Jiraiya grunted as they climbed into the truck and headed back to the hotel.

\------------

Itachi looked over the field from atop the stadium and watched as the dark chestnut came around Millionaire's Row and he glanced down at his watch. It was over two years since he was last here and raced on this track; in the race that jockeys everywhere wanted to win.

Including his younger brother.

He frowned as he walked back down to the rail. As much as he cared about his brother, he wasn't sure if he wanted Sasuke to win, and it didn't help that their father was back in town again for the race, putting more pressure on Sasuke. A light breeze blew across the field, tossing his hair back away from his face and for a moment he felt like he was on top of his old horse and they were coming down the stretch, beating out the other nineteen horses behind him, and etching his name in racing history.

The breeze died down and Itachi was pulled from his thoughts. That was all in the past, and the past taught him that there were other things that needed to be done, instead of just winning and following his fathers desires like a lost puppy. He had discovered this early in his career and walked out when his father became over barring, staying in the business only because he loved it so much.

It was a love that Sasuke didn't share with him.

No, Sasuke had dreams to be in other places and do other things. However, their father was persistent in telling his younger brother how great the racing industry was, and constantly pitted Sasuke against his previous races, in hopes of creating a bigger name in the industry.

Sasuke wouldn't listen to him anymore, feeling that he was out to sabotage his racing career. So instead, Itachi turned to a different source.

\----------

A small shiver raced through Sasuke's body.

Ever since his brother had won the Derby two years ago, he wanted to win the Derby as well. The next year, he was able to ride officially without the bug attached to his name, and his brother pulled out of the racing aspect and took over the business part. Itachi had helped and coached him while he was working his way through the stages of becoming a jockey, giving him the support he needed when his father wasn't there.

Now, it was his time to prove that he was better than Itachi, and that he could stand on his own. He knew that he could do it, and he was going to make the blond jockey eat his words.

He had seen the red chestnut eating in his stall as he moved through the stables, looking at the other contenders, but there was no sign of the Eclipse farm. Instead of staring at the horse in anger, since it simply stared back, giving the notion that he was laughing at him; he headed out to the track where Tobi was being worked.

On the track, he picked out a couple of the Derby contenders before finally spotting Tobi moving along the final turn. Next to him was the only filly in the race that Saturday; Eight Belles. The filly tossed her head as Tobi moved by, his light coat standing out against her dark black one. They passed a pole marker, and Tobi shifted gears, while near the rail, Kakashi waited with a timer. The colt looked nice moving down the track; his strides were long and ground eating, and his ears were perked, with one cocked back, listening to Kiba.

After passing the marker, Kiba slowed the colt down to a walk, before bringing him up to Kakashi, who looked over the horse. Once he deemed him fine, he sent Kiba off to cool Tobi down before gesturing to Sasuke to come over.

"There are some owners over there that would like to talk to you about Friday and Saturday." He said; eyes still on Tobi.

"Are they asking for jockeys?"

Kakashi nodded, "It seems that you and Uzumaki are being sought after, but the Eclipse jockey is unavailable for the day."

"He won't race on Saturday?" Sasuke questioned, surprised at the blonds choice. "So, he's only racing in the Derby, and none of the other races before that."

"Exactly."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and pushed away from the rail, "He's an idiot, but it looks like I can benefit from his loss."

"Just don't overbook yourself Sasuke." Kakashi called after him.

The jockey waved a hand in the air as he walked away and the trainer let out a sigh, wondering if he should have mentioned the other rides at all.

XXXXXXXX Wednesday XXXXXXXXXX

"Gaara what spot do you want to break from?"

The redhead shrugged, "I'm not sure. Moving from the far outside is risky business, and Lemons isn't like Kyuubi who is claustrophobic."

"We'll we don't have very many spots to choose from. So you get to choose from fourteen, ten, or my favorite, twelve."

"They all sound so great." Gaara said, rolling his eyes.

Naruto huffed, "Fine, I'll pick one for you then."

His arm reached out to place the paper on number fourteen but Gaara slapped his arm away. He picked up the paper that the blonde-haired person dropped and covered number twelve, before letting out a sigh as Naruto smiled triumphantly.

They made their way back to the shed row where everyone was waiting for them with the car and Jiraiya looked at them, "Did you pick your slot?"

Gaara nodded, "Number twelve."

"Good," Iruka said then slid into the car, "Now let's go get something to eat, I'm starving."

"Ramen!" Naruto cried happily.

"No!" Four voices shouted at him. "It's 8:30 in the morning."

Naruto slumped against the car seat and pouted, "Fine, we'll eat a normal breakfast." Then mumbled under his breath, "But I don't see what's wrong with ramen in the morning."

XXXXXXXX Thursday XXXXXXXXXX

A large board was situated on a wall, on said board, were the tiny versions of the silks that were being worn by the jockeys at the Derby. Underneath the small silks were blank spots that were waiting to be filled with a number. Five spots were filled already, and fifteen waited for their numbers.

Two figures looked the board over while behind them, the farms of these figures talked casually.

"I don't want to break anywhere close to you."

"And you think I want to be next to you too?"

The blond figure snorted, "Fine, take number twenty, then you won't have to see me at all."

"You take the number twenty spot then." Sasuke figure snapped back.

Behind them, Kiba rolled his eyes, "Oh yeah, I'm definitely feeling the love here."

Sakura and Gaara exchanged a look before the groom answered, "Just wait."

"Whatever. I think you people are all crazy."

"Who's crazy?" a voice interrupted.

The grooms and jockeys turned around, noticing that Itachi was looking at them with interest in his eyes. They all felt the blood drain out of their faces and Sakura pushed Ino forward to speak. "We were just saying how, how crazy this crowd is. Yeah."

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "You wouldn't happen to be talking about my little brother and the Eclipse jockey now, would you?" They all shook their heads, "Not trying to get them together?" There was a furious shaking of heads at the question.

The older Uchiha shrugged, "Pity. I heard there was a wager going on and I wanted to place a bet as well."

There was a moment of silence before Ino grinned, "What would you like to wager, Mr. Uchiha?"

A few moments later, the two jockeys rejoined their farms and they went their separate ways; although, Itachi was now short thirty-five dollars.

\------------

Early Friday morning, the track was dotted with horses warming up for the afternoon's races. Excitement was in the air as the jockeys moved through the stables, and grooms led horses around the paddock area. All were waiting for the track officials to post the last few numbers for tomorrow, and everywhere, news crews gathered around for the announcement.

The announcement that the official line up for the Derby was posted and released.

The Derby was only a day away and already people had been betting since the week started; the current odds were on Tobi; standing at 5-2, who was set to break from gate number three. There was a slight scuffle at the door as crews tried to get a look at the board that showed the numbers, before quickly rushing away to be the first to deliver the news.

In the middle of the chaos, two jockeys stood and glanced over the board. One with blond hair looked at the numbers, memorizing the order and colors of the silks, while the one with red hair memorized a smaller board for the last race of the day. After glaring at the board long enough, they turned around and headed back to the stable where their horses were resting after a quick morning workout.

"You nervous?"

"Should I be?"

"Well, how about excited? This is your last race as a little bug."

Gaara rolled his eyes, but inside, he was excited. So many people had told him that he would never make it this far, that no one would keep him long enough to get the experience, but now it was within reach. He glanced to his right where Naruto was walking with his hands behind his head, taking in the scenery off the saddling area. For once, the blond was going to be in the saddling area with the entire farm and watch from the stands. Normally the races were too close for the other jockey to watch the race in person, let alone make it to the saddling area.

"What about you, aren't you nervous?" Gaara asked.

Naruto glanced back at him and flashed him a smile, "I'm not sure yet, but this is your race today, not mine. We'll worry about the Derby tomorrow."

They settled down in chairs outside the stalls and enjoyed the early calm. Gaara's race wasn't until five that night, and was the tenth race scheduled, so they had plenty of time to relax. Shukaku poked his head over the door and lipped at the redheads hair, making him reach up and run a hand over his nose. He had bought the buckskin when he was a yearling a few years ago and had trained him with Naruto's help. It had taken a long time and a lot of patience, but it all paid off when they won their first race.

He knew that he couldn't have the same relationship with Shukaku as Naruto had with Kyuubi, but at times, it seemed they were close like the two. Naruto had taught him everything he knew about training horses but never mentioned how he learned himself; Gaara never questioned him over it though. Sometimes people liked to leave things in the past; like him.

Gaara quickly shook his head. He didn't need to think about that now; it would only upset and make him nervous. Horses tended to notice their human's emotions, and if he were wired for his race, it would affect Lemons. As if to prove a point, Shukaku nosed his hand, trying to see what was wrong with his human.

The buckskin could feel waves of emotions coming from the redhead, and tried to make him feel better. He liked it when his human was his calm normal self, not this new worried one that sat in front of his stall. He raised his nose and sniffed the air, knowing that something was going to happen soon. All around him there were different smells of horses and humans, more so than he was used to and they all seemed to be anxious for something.

All except for Kyuubi.

In the stall next to him, the chestnut was enjoying the various sounds and smells that were coming from the track. He didn't seem to be nervous; more like excited, and his human was the same way.

 _"What are you so excited about Kyuubi."_ Shukaku snorted.

Kyuubi poked his head around the stall door so he could see the buckskin, _"It's a nice day, my human is with me, and I know that I had a good run today."_

Shukaku rolled his eyes, _"Don't you feel like something is going to happen today? Almost all the horses are expecting something and the humans are waiting."_

_"Are you nervous?"_

_"No!"_

Kyuubi eyed him, muttered something about youngsters and pulled his head back in when the other horse called him back.

_"Okay, yes I am nervous, but only because my human is. Why is yours so calm?"_

_"Not sure"_ Kyuubi answered as he looked at his owner who was munching on some flavored ice. _"But I trust him to know what's going on. If it were something that would be dangerous to me, we wouldn't be here."_

_"You trust your human too much."_

_"Jealous?"_

The buckskin pulled back his lips in a smile, _"Of you, no."_

Kyuubi looked at him before letting out a loud whiny of laughter; scaring Naruto and making him drop his treat. "Kyuubi that was my breakfast!" He whined but scratched the horse behind the ears saying that he forgave him. Kyuubi glanced sideways at Shukaku who looked peeved. _"Oh yeah, you are so jealous."_

\--------

The day moved by quickly, and soon Gaara found himself in the jockey's room, changing into his orange and black silks. He had never liked the orange on the silks, but Naruto had somewhat demanded that they use the color; claiming that it was easier to spot in the field. However, as much as he disliked the silks, he still felt pride at putting them on. He knew that they had worked hard to keep the farm running over the years, and he wanted it to succeed.

After weighing in, he headed outside to the saddling area where he was met by the farm. Sakura smiled at him as she held Lemons reins inside the large holding area and Jiraiya stepped forward to give him instructions.

"This is her type of race, keep her close to the front of the pack and as you come around the last turn, let her out. She'll take you from there."

Gaara nodded and ran a hand over the filly's nose gently. He was nervous, but he was holding it in well and so far, Lemons was calm and relaxed for the race. They were leaving from gate twelve like Naruto had wanted, but they had terrible odds stacked against them. Lemons had a lot of races under her, but many of them never made it onto the board.

"Nervous?" Naruto asked.

He nodded, knowing that he couldn't lie to the other jockey. "I want Lemons to do well and show that she can race."

Naruto grinned, "You know that she can, all you have to do is help her." He draped an arm over Gaara's shoulders, "Lets have an upset today."

The call for the jockeys echoed over the stadium and the horses were led out of their stalls. The jockey could feel his heart pick up as Sakura led Lemons out of her stall and he put a foot in the stirrup and gave a small jump onto her back. On top of the tall filly he could see the other horses ahead of him and he could feel dread creeping up his spine.

He jumped slightly when he felt something on his leg, and he looked down to see Naruto, "You'll be fine, no matter what happens." He said seriously, and Gaara could feel the dread leaving him. He knew that the other jockey was right, and he was going to prove that Lemons was the best filly at the race today.

They reached the end of the walk, and Sakura unclipped the lead line before he was handed off to the pony rider as they made their way onto the track. Beneath him, Lemons pranced slightly before settling into an easy and smooth trot. They made their way to the starting gate where the gate attendants loaded the filly into the gate, shutting the doors behind her.

Gaara looked out over the track from between the horses ears and took a calming breath as he waited for the gates to spring open.

The sound of the bell and the opening of the gates were loud in his ears, but nothing prepared him for the excitement of the crowd as they screamed as the horses broke from the gate. It was thrilling and he could tell that Lemons loved it.

They broke quickly, and made it to the outside of the pack where he wanted, before checking her into a place that he was comfortable with. Dirt was being kicked up from the lead horses as they held a steady sixth place, but the filly wanted more; she was ready to run today.

And who was Gaara to deny this wish to the horse?

As they came out of the first turn, he allowed Lemons to move forward more and into fourth place before holding her in the place. They still needed to make it down the backstretch before he could let her out anymore but the horse wanted to get closer to the front and was fighting for the bit. Gaara bit his lip, unsure what to do. He knew that Jiraiya told him to hold her back until the final turn but she wanted to run and holding her back would tire her down.

Halfway down the backstretch, he made up his mind.

He aimed the mare for an opening close to the front, allowing her to catch up with the leaders. He could feel the mare running strongly under him and knew that she had more to give and could make the entire race. Without another thought, he eased up on the reins and the filly shot forward.

They moved into the lead, switching gears as the came out of the backstretch and into the final turn. Lemons ears were perked as she continued to pick up speed, enjoying the lead that she now had, and the wind whistled loudly in their ears. Gaara grabbed a chunk of mane for extra balance as they came out of the final turn and into the homestretch.

The sound of the stadium was loud once again and Lemons fed off of their excitement. She changed gears on last time and dug in deeply; her stride became long and ground eating as they moved away from the pack. To their left, the final marker flashed by, signaling one furlong left to the finish as the mare began to stretch out more.

Horse and rider swept under the wire, three lengths ahead of the pack, in an upset that no one expected.

Gaara stood up and eased the mare down to a slow canter as an official on a horse caught up to them. He grabbed the mare's reins and they slowed down to a trot as they began heading back to the winners circle. Gaara let out a breath that he realized he hadn't been holding and ran a hand over the horse's sweaty neck. Even though she covered in dirt, her ears were still perked and alert and he was sure that she came out of the race just fine.

He could see Sakura's pink hair in the winners circle as they approached and Iruka smiled at him as he approached, "What a way to end your apprentice career."

"That was the best upset I've seen in a long time." A voice to his left said, and Gaara looked over to see Naruto grinning at him, "What'd I tell you. Nothing to it."

Gaara rolled his eyes, "You make it sound so easy."

He shrugged and stepped to the side as the blanket of lilies was draped over Lemons neck and they poised for a picture. After the picture was taken, Gaara slid down as Sakura led the filly away, who was trying to bite some of the lilies, and Naruto shot him a sly look.

"I told you it would be an upset."

"What's with the look?" the redhead asked, not liking the tone of his voice either.

Naruto smirked, "Thanks to you, I'm now a couple hundred dollars richer."

Gaara stared at him, "You bet on me?"

"Think of this as a credit to your race. I was so confident that you were going to win, that I put money on you."

The blonde looked back at the other jockey, and then let out a yelp as Gaara started to chase after him. "Naruto, get back here! You owe me some of that money!"

\-------

5:30 A.M.

Naruto stared at the ceiling in the pitch-black room; the side of his face was illuminated by the faint green glow of the alarm clock. He closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath before letting it out slowly, then sat up in bed. It was Saturday; Derby day.

He swung his feet onto the floor and stood up, shoulders popping as he stretched then went to go get ready. As he left his room, he was met by the entire farm waiting for him, with expecting smiles on their faces despite the early hour.

"Shall we?" Jiraiya asked, hands gesturing to the door, "We have a colt to prep."

Naruto grinned and they filed out of the door and made their way to the track. When they got there, Naruto pulled Sakura aside.

"Sakura, I have a favor to ask." He said, "I know that you're his groom, but just for today, let me take care of him."

She sighed, "Somehow I knew you were going to ask that. But how can I deny our little Naru his time with his horse?" she teased.

The jockey's eyes sparkled, "Hey, this gives you more time to relax until the walk. Don't worry; I won't take over that part of your job."

"I don't think they'd let you do that." She answered and pushed him towards the stall, "Go on, your horse is waiting for you."

Naruto laughed and walked up to Kyuubi's stall, where the chestnut was in a light sleep, with one ear cocked towards the door. At the sound of his footsteps, the horse opened an eye and whickered quietly as he let himself into the stall.

"Come on boy, it's just you and me today."

He led the horse out of the stall and started to run a brush over his coat, kicking up clouds of dust in the process. Once the colt was groomed, he quickly saddled him and led him out to the track for a quick warm up. Other horses were being led onto the track and Naruto picked out the ones that were going to be in the Derby that afternoon so he could watch their movements. Kyuubi snorted and pulled at the reins, shaking the jockey from his thoughts and he urged the horse into a smooth trot.

After a couple times around the track, he was certain that the colt was warmed up and he signaled for Jiraiya to start the timer so they could get in a quick run. Kyuubi broke into a smooth gallop, testing the ground beneath him as well as the strength in his legs. After passing a couple poles, Naruto slowed him down, not wanting to tire him for the race, and they pulled up besides the rail.

"He looked good out there." The trainer said, "Go ahead and cool him out then bathe and feed him. We'll Lasix (4) him around two o' clock, and the race is at five."

Naruto nodded and let the colt cool out while Jiraiya looked at the program of races for the day. He turned to the trainer and owner next to him, "Are you sure you want him racing in this many races today?"

The owner kept his gaze on the track where a dark chestnut was moving around the turn, "He won't listen to me even if I told him not to race in them."

Jiraiya snorted, "You don't seem like the type of person to let that just slide by. He is your younger brother, Itachi."

Finally, Itachi turned his head to meet Jiraiya's eyes, "He's so confident in his riding it would be pointless to say anything; I think once he loses the race today, it'll be slap to the face. Maybe then, he'll understand that it's not always about winning the race."

"That's a little harsh; you don't believe that he will win?"

Itachi shrugged, "Not right now and I can't shelter him forever; the racing world is harsh itself." He turned his attention back to the track as Kiba pulled Tobi up next to the rail, asking for the watch.

\-------------

Naruto hummed softly as he ran a soft cloth over Kyuubi's body, watching the muscles bunch under the skin. He knew that the colt was ready for the day, and all that was left to do was wait; and avoid everyone.

He knew that Jiraiya didn't like the fact that he didn't take any rides during the day, but he couldn't help it. Every time he rode at major horse events, he would always stay with his horse until it was time to compete. He found that it kept the horse calm since they weren't surrounded by many people throughout the day, and it helped to calm his own nerves. Riding a lot of horses before the main race always threw him off as well; especially when he needed to ride Kyuubi later. Kyuubi had a gait that was different from all the other horses he had ridden, and by staying off mounts for the whole day; he was in tune to the colt's gait.

Kyuubi flickered his ears back to Naruto, picking up on the noise and tossed his head playfully. The jockey laughed and began leading him back to his stall, "I know, you're hungry."

Once they reached the stall, he dumped in some feed, and watched as the horse dug in, knowing that he wouldn't get a chance to eat again until after the race. After Kyuubi finished, he checked the water level, and then slid down the wall, settling into the hay.

The colt eyed him curiously before coming over to nudge his shoulder, wondering why his human was still in the stall when he should be getting ready to race. He laughed and pushed his nose away, saying that it tickled, but Kyuubi huffed affectionately and began to relax. It seemed that the jockey was going to stay with him for the day, and he would enjoy every moment of it

\-----------

Sasuke swung up into the saddle of a large grey colt. It was still early in the morning; only nine or ten o' clock, but the stadium was filling up quickly. The colt pranced as they made their way onto the track for the Churchill Downs Stakes, which was a quick sprint, with a distance of only seven furlongs. He had two more races once this one was done, and then the Derby with plenty of time to relax in between the races.

His brother hadn't said anything about him wanting to run in the other three races, but he could tell that he was displeased with the idea. It didn't bother him though, he knew what he was doing and there were other jockeys that were riding in earlier races as well as the Derby. Doing this helped him find the fast parts of the track and see how he could handle it.

Itachi watched as his brother loaded into the gate with the grey colt. The race was a simple Grade II, but he knew that Sasuke was fully focused on it, stating that his reputation as a jockey was on the line. While he simply rolled his eyes at the statement, he could hear the determination in his brother's voice. Determination to win at everything he did and best him in their father's eyes. Stupid parents and their comparing of the kids next to each other. He felt a sense of déjà vu, and shook the feeling off; there was no such thing as reincarnation.

\------

It was two o' clock when the Tsunade came by with the shot of Lasix for the horses. After the shot was administered, Naruto led Kyuubi around the shed row for a while to help loosen his legs, while on the track; the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes was getting ready to race. Once Kyuubi was loosened up, they made their way back to the stall where he found Gaara waiting for him.

"I figured you would be hungry by now." He said.

Naruto's stomach growled in response, and the redhead handed him an apple and a small bag of crackers, "Don't get too heavy for him." Gaara teased, and Naruto grunted in response but thanked him nonetheless. Gaara smirked and walked away, "It's okay, I bought it with your money anyway."

"That's not fair!" Naruto shouted at his retreating back.

\-----

The Derby was less than two hours away and Sasuke was anxious. He wasn't nervous or scared; he didn't do those emotions; but something was there on his mind that he couldn't get rid of, no matter how hard he tried. He wasn't doubting his skill; he had won two of his races today and knew that he was capable of pulling another win, but something still felt wrong. Out on the track, Neji and Kiba were getting ready for another race, leaving him alone in the stables. He wiped his hands on his pants as he watched the race from the small window in Tobi's stall, but moved away as his heart rate started to speed up.

"Sasuke." A calm voice behind him called.

He turned to see his brother watching him with amusement in his eyes. "What?" he snapped.

"What's wrong?"

Sasuke glared at Itachi, "Nothing is wrong."

"Then why are you pacing up and down the aisle way?"

"I'm not." Sasuke started to say, but stopped when he realized that he was moving up and down in the aisle way. "Okay, I'm pacing, but I'm not nervous."

"Of course not." Itachi answered. "So, I'm going to sit down and read my book while I wait for the walk."

Sasuke jockey stared him, "How can you be so calm? Aren't you nervous?"

"What should I be nervous about, Sasuke?"

"That I lose and then no one wants to associate with our Estates; we completely embarrass ourselves in front of the entire racing world; you take your pick. Weren't you anxious when you rode?"

Itachi sighed, "Sasuke, first of all, you're blowing all this out of proportion. Losing a race doesn't mean that people will automatically avoid us like the plague. Second, no matter what happens, whether you come in first or last, or somewhere in between the two, I will always be proud of you."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, he had never heard his brother say something like that. Before he could respond, his brother stood up and walked closer to him. He bent down till they were eye level, then flicked him on the forehead, and said, "Yes, I was nervous. If you weren't, I would be worried about you; because it shows that you are being overconfident in your skills and anything can happen out there, yet, you also need to have some confidence in your skill. But once you get out there, everything comes back to you."

He walked away and gave a slight wave as Sasuke rubbed his forehead where Itachi flicked him. The jockey was annoyed with his brother, but at the same time, he felt oddly comforted and his nerves had calmed down.

"Thanks Itachi." He said softly, and then went to go change.

\-------

It was quiet in the jockey's room; the only real sound came from the TV mounted on the wall. He looked across the room where the blond jockey was adjusting the collar on his silks, before turning to look at the clock, which showed 4:37; meaning the horses were walking from shed row to the paddock. With a sigh, he shoved his feet into his boots, and then leaned back on the chair. Itachi had said that it was okay to be nervous; which he admitted to himself finally, but he was also jittery now.

An official opened the door, grabbing everyone's attention, "Time for the jockey portrait."

They filed out of the room, where a photographer positioned them on the benches; thankfully, he wasn't next to the Eclipse jockey. After a couple of minutes with the annoying flash that doesn't leave your eyes for hours; they were given the okay to walk out. Yelling and screaming reached their ears as they exited the tunnel and saw the full crowd for the first time; to say that it was overwhelming was an understatement.

After weaving through the maze of trainers, grooms, and owners, Sasuke found his way to the number three stall where Tobi stood waiting for him. His coat shown brightly, contrasting nicely with the royal blue saddlecloth on his back.

"Sasuke, you have a good gate position, use that to your advantage. Don't lead for the entire race, but try and push the leader so he tires, then take the lead. Make your moves wisely." Kakashi said and the jockey nodded.

"Riders up!"

Ahead of him, the first two horses were being led out by their grooms, and finally, Ino led Tobi out, while Kakashi gave him a leg up. His brother walked next to the colt and right before he was handed off to the pony rider he placed a hand on his knee, "Good luck Sasuke."

Sasuke grunted and sat up straighter as they moved through the tunnel.

\---------

Naruto squinted in the bright sunlight as he pushed through the crowd, quickly spotting his colt in the number eight slot, pink saddlecloth blending in with his lightly colored coat. His coat and eyes shined as he came up and ran a hand over his nose, talking softly to him. He could feel the energy coming off Kyuubi, and he knew that they were ready.

"Okay kid; keep him close to the outside like he likes it. The field is the biggest ever; twenty horses, so coming down the straight the first time, bide your time, and don't get bumped. The field should spread out more around the first turn, so make your move then. You both know when to let go, you'll be fine."

The jockey nodded, and flashed Jiraiya a grin, "No turning back."

"Riders up!"

He turned to Sakura and Gaara who were looking at him, anticipation in their eyes, "Chase 'em down, Naruto." Sakura said as she grabbed the lead line.

Gaara smirked at her comment but then added, "Give them hell."

The number seven horse was led out, and soon Kyuubi was being led out by Sakura and Gaara, while Jiraiya gave him a leg up. Next to him, Iruka smiled as they walked through the tunnel, and up ahead, the song 'My Old Kentucky Home' was playing over the speakers. Sakura unclipped the lead line and handed him off to the pony rider as they moved onto the track.

\--------

"Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby!"

In the shadows of the twin spires, the horses were led in front of the crowd, while they sang along to the 'My Old Kentucky Home'. After the song finished, the crowd erupted, making some of the horses shy away from the noise, while others moved away from the camera that was moving along the track. Over the speakers, the announcer was calling off the horses as they continued their warm up and made their way to the gate.

"The horses are starting to load in the gate. The favorite, Tobi, is going into gate three, followed by the filly Eight Belles into number five. Just a few more horses to go."

Sasuke brought his goggles down and adjusted them for the last time as they shut the gate behind Tobi. All around him, horses were being loaded and the clanging was loud in his ears as more horses entered the gate. He looked out over the field, knowing that once the gates opened, it would be another two minutes before he came back down the stretch.

A few gates down, Naruto had managed to drown out the crowds cheering, focusing only on the race and Kyuubi. "Kyuubi?" he called softly and the colt's ears swiveled back to him, "Do you want to run today?" The horse bobbed its head in a yes fashion, making Naruto chuckle and run his hand over the colt's neck.

All the horses were loaded and the crowd began to quiet down to muffled murmur, before the bell rang and the gates flew open.

"And their off, in the Kentucky Derby!"

The crowd jumped to their feet, the volume raising as the large pack moved down the stretch for the first time in a tightly grouped bunch. Overhead, the announcer was quickly calling out the positions as the horses continued down the stretch, and they fought for a position.

As soon as they broke, the first thing that hit Sasuke was the noise. His eyes narrowed as Tobi took to the middle of the pack while the number one horse grabbed the rail. They had a good start and were holding third in the tightly packed group; but all around him, jockeys were trying to make their own moves. He remembered Kakashi's instructions to push the leader for a fast pace and tire him out, but at the same time, he needed to rate Tobi or they would tire as well.

They moved around the turn and the second place horse continued to push the leader to hold his spot, making his job easier. However, the number two horse was a distance runner and could easily hold the pace for the rest of the race. If that happened, Tobi would never get his chance to make a move, and they would end up in second or third if they held off the rest of the pack. The thought of losing entered his mind, and he gritted his teeth. He needed to make sure that the colt stayed closer to the front.

Tobi switched leads as they moved into the backstretch and they pulled close to the second place horse. The leader was starting to fade, the fast pace finally affecting him as they started to pass him. Behind the three leaders, the group had spread and now two groups trailed after the lead horses. Sasuke glanced back, noticing that the fourth place horse was holding position by his knee while the fifth and sixth fought for position, and now was his time to make a move; the leader was fading.

He flicked his whip and Tobi drew even with the new leader before pulling ahead of him by half a body length and claimed the rail. Pushing the leader was starting to take its affect on the second place horse as it fought to hold its position. The colt was running strong as they started to make their way into the final turn, when a red chestnut started to pull up on the outside of the pack.

At the start of the race, Kyuubi had broken nicely and they quickly held a position close to the outside. As they moved down the stretch for the first time, they were close to the back of the pack, but as they entered the turn, they were seated comfortably in seventh, and he planned to keep the horse there until they were halfway down the backstretch. He could see the lead horses from his spot on the outside and he knew that the leader wasn't a distance type horse and would fade back.

Beneath him, the colt was running strongly, and he had more to give as they started to pull out of the turn and moved into the start of the backstretch. While he was never patient off the track, patience was needed in long races, and he knew that it would pay off soon. They passed the half-mile marker, when he decided to let Kyuubi move.

Naruto pushed his hands up on Kyuubi's neck, asking the horse for more speed as they passed the horses on the outside. He counted the horses as he passed them on the backstretch, and Kyuubi switched leads as they hit the turn, moving closer to the three horses fighting for the lead. They moved through the final turn, going wide around the third place horse, before drawing even with the second horse. They fought for the position coming out of the turn; then crossed in front, as they moved into the homestretch.

Kyuubi's ears flickered forward as the crowd came to its feet, while close to his hindquarters; a dark chestnut was keeping pace with him. He could feel the excitement in the air as well as the calm hands on his neck, telling him that everything was fine while a soft voice called his name. He kept an ear forward while the other flicked back towards the jockey who let the reins slip through his fingers, giving him room to run.

A moment later, Naruto felt Kyuubi dig into the ground, and they started to pull away from the horses as the colt began to stretch out.

Sasuke ground his teeth as the chestnut started to move away from them. He kneaded his hands along Tobi's neck, and growled the horses name in annoyance when they weren't getting closer. There was no way he was going to finish second, again, to the blond jockey when just last week he said that he was going to win. He disliked not having control over situations and he felt his eyes widen when he realized that there was no way they were going to catch up.

What was his father going to say?

Tobi felt his hesitation and started to slow down, snapping Sasuke out of his worry, "No." he snarled, "Weren't not going to slow down and let them catch us." The colt picked up speed as he urged him forward, and they continued to pull away from the field, but still came nowhere close to the leader.

"Kyuubi pulls away from Tobi as they move down the stretch; and it will be Kyuubi galloping to the finish in the Run for the Roses, here at Churchill Downs, followed by Tobi, four lengths back." The announcer cried over the speaker as the stadium continued to cheer and scream.

Naruto eased back on the reins, pulling the colt down to a slower gallop as track officials raced out to meet him. The colt dropped down to a jerky canter before settling in a trot as the pony rider attached a lead line to the bridle. He leaned forward and ran his hand over Kyuubi's neck, grinning as they made their way back. Media swamped the track as photographers tried to get a shot as they walked by and camera crews tried to interview the jockeys coming back from the turn.

The pony rider handed the lead line to Sakura as they met up with the farm. Their faces shown with excitement as he slid down and was engulfed in a hug by both trainer and owner. Kyuubi pulled on the lead, demanding attention from someone, making Naruto laugh as he threw his arms around the horses' neck and murmured into his thick mane, "You are the best horse I could ever ask for."

"That was a nice race, Naruto." A voice said behind him, "You handled him nicely."

Naruto cocked his head, "Thanks! I guess we'll see you in two weeks?"

"Of course, maybe by then, my brother will have learned how to ride like you."

"Eh?"

Itachi waved his hand, dismissing the question, "I have a sulking brother to tend to; I'll see you in Maryland."

They stared at the Uchiha as he walked towards the dark chestnut that was being checked over by the groom and trainer, but the jockey was nowhere to be seen. Behind Naruto, Iruka placed a hand on his shoulder, "I think it would be wise for you to leave the younger Uchiha alone for now."

"You ruined my fun." Naruto whined but quickly agreed as Iruka glared at him.

The track officials came by, giving them the word that they could precede to the winners circle. Jiraiya nodded and gave Naruto a leg up onto Kyuubi's back, then they crossed onto the turf, before making it into the winners circle. The governor was waiting with the blanket of roses and after a brief congratulations talk, draped the blanket over the colt's neck.

Kyuubi tossed his head, knowing that he did a good job, while Naruto ran a quiet hand over his shoulder, then leaned over on his neck and whispered, "Thanks Kyuubi." And the colt nickered softly in response.

Gaara looked up at Naruto and smirked slightly, "While your race wasn't an upset like mine, I still pulled out some money from your win. Thanks."

The jockey stared down at the red head, "You did what?"


	9. The Preakness Stakes

_The second leg of the Triple Crown takes place in Maryland, and is the shortest distance of the three races, run at a length of 9 1/2 furlongs, compared to the 1 1/4 miles run at the Kentucky Derby. The race takes place two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, every third Saturday in May. It is known as "The Run for the Black-Eyed Susan's", and has just as many traditions as the Derby itself; such as the painting of the horse and rider wind vein in the colors of the winning silks._

_This, is the Preakness Stakes_  
\----------

The beautiful track at Pimlico was known for its hosting of the Preakness Stakes, where Tobi and Kyuubi would be facing off again. They were the only two horses to return to the race from the Derby, and they both had something to prove. They both wanted to be the best of the fourteen horse field that day, to feel the excitement running through their veins as the crowd jumped to their feet as they moved down the stretch for the last time, and to know that their riders were proud of them.

Both chestnuts could feel the tension in the air around their stables; one stronger than the other, but the presence was visible at both. They pulled out of the Derby without any injury and were given rest, with only a few light workouts during the next few weeks. During those weeks, the humans were preparing for another trip, making them excited again. They knew something big was coming, they could tell by the way their humans scurried around; packing trunks with gear and fussing over them.

A few days after the humans started running around and packing, they found themselves being loaded onto trailers and airplanes, before flying east, to a slightly cooler area with a new stable. The sniffed around curiously, wondering when they would get to race again and what their humans were up to. The two-legged ones always had someone outside their new stall, making sure to keep unwanted attention away. At times, they enjoyed it, but other times it was just annoying. But they couldn't say anything about it; the humans didn't understand.

\---------

Maryland. Two weeks after the Kentucky Derby.

Naruto looked at Kyuubi fondly as the chestnut colt munched happily on his breakfast. They had arrived in Maryland on Sunday to allow plenty of time for both the horses and the jockeys to adjust to the time difference and climate. It was early Tuesday morning and they had plans to spend the day looking around the city, since no one from the Eclipse farm had been to the state.

"Naruto lets go. Kyuubi can eat in peace." Sakura called from down the aisle.

The blond haired jockey grinned and double-checked the lock before running to catch up with the groom. She smacked him upside the head for making them wait and then led the way to the car where Gaara and Iruka were waiting for them. After sliding into the car, they pulled away from the racetrack and headed into town.

\------

In another part of the barn, Sasuke watched the blond leave with the rest of the farm. He glared at the spot where they had stood a moment ago, before turning his attention back to the track. In less than a week, he was going to destroy the Eclipse jockey and he was going to make sure that Naruto knew who beat him.

"Brooding about your past races won't do you any good." A soft voice behind him said.

He turned around, eyes narrowing when he noticed his brother stroking Tobi's nose. "What would you know about losing races? You always won the races you rode in. Father spoke of your racing very fondly when you still rode."

"This isn't about father, Sasuke." Itachi said.

Sasuke grunted and looked back at the track, not in the mood to answer his brother. Instead his mind unconsciously floated back to the first Saturday in May; the day he lost the Kentucky Derby.

_As soon as he handed Tobi to Ino, he stormed off into the jockey's room, wondering if he could drown himself in the shower. After everything that he had done that morning, all those previous races he had ridden in and won; he still lost the Derby. Not only that, he panicked close to the end of the ride, making the colt slow down. If he hadn't been able to get the colt to pick up speed, the rest of the field would have caught him._

_That would have been worse._

_It wasn't just the fact that he lost, the problem in it, was that he had made Tobi hesitate in the run. Something about that statement just didn't sound right even to his own ears and he was the jockey. Try explaining that to the media who had no idea what it was like out on the track._

_Try explaining that to your father._

_He laughed at that, the sound echoing in the large shower area. His father, being a jockey when he was younger would know that it was possible for a moment's hesitation when you were clumped together and trying to decide a move, not when you were down the stretch. It could happen to anyone, he guessed. But not from him. Both Itachi and Kakashi had trained him, and both had a long line of wins under their belts, and the Uchiha farm had some of the best racehorses in the business. Tobi was easily at his prime. So the only element left to place the blame on, was the jockey._

_After drying off and changing into something more comfortable, he emerged from the locker room; only to find his father waiting for him. Not the person he wanted to see right now. Hell, he would have preferred to see Naruto over his father at this moment, but someone up there hated him._

_"Father."_

_"That was an inadequate race, Sasuke. You had a good position, your horse was more than ready, and you blew it. I'm disappointed in you."_

_Those four little words struck the younger Uchiha like a slap to the face. He knew his father would be upset, but never, in his entire career, had his father said those words. It was as if he was saying in a nicer way, that he was a failure._

_"I won't be in the country for the Preakness, but I expect to hear something better than second next time."_

_"Yes father." He answered._

_His father vanished into the crowd after that, and Sasuke blindly found his way to the shed row where Tobi was eating. Something inside him stirred as outside, the Eclipse farm stood around the wash rack as Naruto hosed the chestnut colt down. He couldn't see how the blonde-haired person came up like he did. The jockey hadn't raced in any races that day, yet seemed to know where the fast spots were. Not to mention, he seemed entirely too calm for such a large race._

_How could someone with such a laid-back attitude about racing, win so many races?_

_He needed to win this next race to make his father realize that he wasn't a failure; and it seemed that his only competition was the Eclipse jockey. And sometimes you needed to eliminate your competition to win._

"Can I help you?"

Sasuke looked up at the voice, and found that he had wondered to the barn where Eclipse was boarding. He glanced at the chestnut colt before looking at the white haired trainer, "No, just looking at the horses."

He gave the trainer a nod and continued out of the barn, lost in thought.

\------

Wednesday morning, Naruto arrived at the track, finding Kyuubi saddled up for him. He gave his thanks to Sakura who answered that it was her job, before leading the colt onto the track. He shivered slightly in the cool air, while beneath him; the colt pranced excitedly. Cool air always made the horse frisky and playful.

They moved through a normal warm up, and Jiraiya sent them on a light gallop to see how Kyuubi was taking to the track. Naruto was happy that his colt wasn't meticulous about his track preference and was taking to the track nicely. After getting the time, he slowed Kyuubi down, allowing the colt to cool down. The work out was kept short and simple, just like two weeks ago.

After the colt was cooled out, they walked back to the shed row, where Naruto planned to give him a quick bath before spending some of the day with him. The farm took turns watching over the horses that they had brought to make sure that no one tried anything or stressed them out. Gaara was staying with him for the first half of the day, before they gave the position over to Iruka for the night watch.

He frowned when he noticed Sakura waiting for him at the rail. She had the rest of the day off and he had told the pink haired groom that he would take care of Kyuubi so she could leave early.

"Uchiha is in there, he wants to talk to you."

"Which one?"

"The younger."

Naruto ground his teeth together. "I'm sorry about this Sakura. Let me go find Gaara and he can take care of Kyuubi so you can leave."

Sakura waved a hand, dismissing the offer, "Its okay. I am the groom after all. Besides, Gaara is looking over the other two horses. Go have fun."

The jockey rolled his eyes, "Somehow I doubt this will be fun."

Leaving the colt with Sakura, he moved through the stable until he found the Uchiha leaning against a stall wall. The stable was empty still and would remain empty since the extra space was not needed.

"What's up?" he asked lightheartedly, trying not to provoke the jockey. At first, he wasn't sure if Sasuke had heard him, since the raven just stood there, foot propped up against the wall, eyes focused on the dirt. He opened his mouth to say something again when Sasuke finally spoke.

"Naruto, what's the purse for this race?"

Naruto was taken back by the question, but answered anyway, "It's around one million, why?"

Sasuke was silent for another moment, pondering his next move, "Would you like more than that?"

"Eh?"

"What if I could offer you more than the purse?"

The blond haired jockey laughed, "What are you going to do, steal the money?" When the raven didn't answer right away, Naruto stopped laughing, wondering if his crazy idea was what Sasuke had planned.

"Naruto, I know you care deeply for your colt." Sasuke spoke slowly, "Are you worried about the race affecting him, after all you did just come off of a win at the Derby."

Naruto shook his head, "Kyuubi came out of the Derby fine, and he feels great in his workout sessions."

"So you think you'll win and get the purse." It was more of a statement than a question.

"It's possible."

At this, Sasuke's gaze left the dirt floor and his face turned to meet Naruto's, and for a second, the blond was worried he said something wrong.

"What if, Kyuubi didn't run as well as expected. Say, he seemed to be holding back, and the jockey was helping to hold him back, yet said jockey was still paid the purse amount."

Naruto's eyes narrowed and the flashed dangerously as he realized what Sasuke was hinting at. "Bastard." He hissed, "There is no way I am throwing a race for your sake. I would have thought the Uchiha pride wouldn't allow for that. Is this how you went about winning all your other races, by bribing the jockeys to hold back?"

Sasuke pushed himself off the wall, "No. But if it's the money you want, than this shouldn't be a problem."

"It's not about the money." Naruto ground out, "It's about the feeling of flying down the track; and the speed underneath you, coming down that homestretch and not feeling lost in the crowd anymore, you know what you want. Have you every felt that? It's about proving that you can race better than the others out there on that track, with you and your horse's talent; not with bribery. This is low. No, this is lower than low, especially coming from you."

"You don't know what its like." Sasuke spat, "You have your entire farm behind you. You could come in dead last and they wouldn't care. I have a reputation to uphold. My father and brother were great jockeys, I have to live up to their expectations, and you don't have anything to live up to. How would you know what its like?"

Naruto locked his eyes with Sasuke's, "Is that who you race for?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Answer the question!" Naruto snapped.

"I race because I want to the best."

"In whose eyes? Yours or your fathers?"

Sasuke started to say his, but he stopped when he realized that he wasn't sure. "I race for myself."

Naruto snorted, "You could have fooled me."

"What does all this have to do with my racing?" Sasuke shouted; his patience was drawing thin.

The blond sighed and ran a hand over his face, "Sasuke, I'm telling you this because I think you need to hear it, since you didn't seem to understand the last time we talked. First, even if you won all the races you raced in; your brother will still be a better jockey than you." He held up his hand, stopping Sasuke from arguing and said tersely, "Just listen. He will always be better because he rides better than you, and not just in the sense of winning. Itachi is able to connect with the horse, unlike you.

"Second, as long as you keep riding the way you do, you will never win against me, as I've told you before. You have no idea why you race; you can't see the splendor of the racetrack or its horses since you only race to win. Yes, we all want to win, but when your desire to win overcomes the reason you love to race, you can no longer win.

"Lastly, you don't need to prove yourself to your father or anyone else out there; nor should you compare yourself to your brother. You two are two separate people, and should never be clumped together in some sort of judging. Itachi won his races because he enjoyed racing as it was. I'm sure he didn't think about being the best jockey, since someone else will always come up and take the spot later. He simply enjoyed the sport. You; I don't think you wanted to race in the first place, but you followed after him or you were pressured into the spot."

Sasuke growled, "You will never know what goes on with me. I chose to race on my own, no one forced me. You just think you're so much better than me since you've been winning."

Naruto leaned in closer and for a second, Sasuke thought the blond was going to punch him. Instead, blue eyes searched his face before he answered, "No Sasuke, I don't think I'm better than you; I know I am. Also, don't assume that you know everything about me either; I have standards that I'm stacked up against as well, but I don't let it go to my head."

He turned away from the seething raven and exited the building, leaving Sasuke to his thoughts.

\------

Gaara glanced up from his book when Naruto entered, and fought the urge to hide behind his book.

Naruto was furious.

The redhead had never seen his friend this mad; ever. He had seen Naruto upset before and it wasn't terrifying, but this, this was frightening. Someone must have really upset him to the point that Naruto lost his, normally cool and laid back attitude. Anger rolled off him like waves in the ocean, and his eyes were hard, icy blue. After watching him pace angrily, Gaara decided to speak up, "Naruto, you're scaring the horses."

At the mention of the horses, Naruto's anger began to ebb away. He flashed Gaara an apologetic smile before dropping down to the ground with a huff. "Stupid Uchiha."

Gaara sighed, "What did the Uchiha do now?"

Bad question. Naruto's anger spiked again, but he fought to control it as the redhead glared at him.

"He says he wants to talk to me, and starts to ask me all these weird questions. Then he decides that he's going to bribe me into throwing the race for him."

Green eyes narrowed. Somehow, he didn't think the Uchiha would steep that low to win.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. He offered to pay me the purse money if I held Kyuubi back. I think his father is getting to him, that and being in the shadow of Itachi for so long."

"You didn't do anything stupid did you?" Gaara questioned.

Naruto chuckled, "No, but I should have punched him. I told him instead what he wanted to hear a couple weeks back, whether or not he listens, is up to him. You know, I can't believe I actually." He stopped and shook his head, "Never mind."

He stood up and let himself into Kyuubi's stall; knowing he could find peace with his colt. Kyuubi sniffed at his hair as he sank to the bedded floor.

Gaara however, was now intrigued as he remembered Sakura's discussion with him a few weeks back. He marked his spot in the book and leaned over the stall door, looking down at Naruto. "You couldn't believe what Naruto?"

To his surprise, the blonds' cheeks tinted pink slightly, "Nothing."

The redhead leaned over the door and poked Naruto's pink cheeks, "This is not, nothing."

Naruto let out a sigh, "I just, you know, thought that he was different. I had hoped that after our last talk, he would have changed, but he's still an egotistical bastard. I can't believe that I actually let myself care about him."

Gaara's eyes widened slightly and he shifted against the door, remembering that this was the same conversation the blond had with Sakura before the Derby. Now he was in the same situation, but he knew how to handle it. "Cared in him as a friend, or something more?"

Now Naruto's blush was back again, only this time, it was more red than pink; confirming Gaara's suspicion. "I don't know. I mean, when we first met, I wanted to be friends with him and help him get better. The more time we spent together, even if it was arguing, I felt different, and after that kiss, well, I don't know." He trailed off.

"Well, even though he might not consider you a friend right now, you already did when you met. I think that in trying to help him, you gained other feelings for him and that is why his attitude and stubbornness annoy you. I think you care for him."

"Yeah right. Good one Gaara."

"No, seriously, think about it. Denial is always the first stage.

Naruto was silent for a while, then grunted, "Fine, maybe I do care for the Uchiha, in a friend way. But you breathe a word of this to anyone, about this feeling thing; I'll do something, something evil." He wiggled his fingers for emphasis, but it took away from his serious tone.

"I'll leave you alone to your thoughts." Gaara said, smirking, and adding that he needed to go to the bathroom, but as he made his way out of the stable, he suddenly felt the urge to go check up on an upset Uchiha.

\------

Sasuke Uchiha was not pouting. He was an Uchiha, and Uchiha's didn't pout, or sulk. Instead, they glared; glared little holes into whatever happened to be in their line of sight. The object of Sasuke's glare was the wood panel of the stall door, but it did nothing but sit there innocently; mockingly.

"I didn't think I would ever see the day where someone would get under Sasuke's skin. But I guess even the impossible can happen every now and then." A mocking voice said from the entrance of the stable aisle.

Black eyes slid over to the sound of the voice, before narrowing in disgust. "What are you doing here?"

"I have some horses running on Saturday before the Preakness, and this is where they are staying. So allow me to ask you the same question."

"I was just leaving."

The figure chuckled, "That Eclipse jockey is something isn't he. He's won his last few races, and took the Derby away from you, that must have made you so upset. Perhaps you would like some help."

"I don't need help from the likes of you." Sasuke bit out.

"That's not what I heard," the voice said mockingly as the jockey tensed up, "Yes Sasuke, I heard that little part of your conversation, but my lips are sealed. After all, I gain nothing from mentioning it to the track officials or the press since most will think it's just a rumor. However, I do have some interesting news about the stable that he rides for; it seems that the little redhead jockey; Gaara, I believe his name is, can't ride for anyone else. None of the other stables will let him ride under their silks except the Eclipse stable; something to do with the farm he worked at previously and the nasty business of drugs. Perhaps that is the reason you can't win against their stable."

Sasuke didn't answer but for some reason the comment about Naruto drugging Kyuubi made him mad. He knew that the blond jockey loved his colt too much to even think about putting him in harms way, the same went for the other jockey and his colt. He didn't answer, letting the other person think that he was running the idea over in his head before he spoke again.

"Somehow I doubt that they would do that."

The person shrugged, "Your call, but I would still watch them if I were you. Now, if you don't mind; I need to get my stock in here."

Sasuke nodded and moved out of the stable while near the entranceway, green eyes narrowed.

\-----------

Gaara was not one to be surprised, so needless to say, coming back and hearing Naruto having a conversation with himself, surprised him. He decided to humor himself and listen to the blonds' conversation.

"And then he says that he's going to beat me by bribing. I should have just kicked his ass right then and there, but no! I just had to go and fall for the most egotistical, self-centered person- whatever. Well fine; next time I win, I hold a big ramen party, and he's not invited. Hahaha." 

"And this is where you cross the line of insanity."

Naruto jumped up, "Holy crap Gaara, don't that. You could have scared Kyuubi!"

The jockey looked over at the chestnut colt who was glancing at the people passing by and seemed otherwise unaffected by his sudden appearance. He looked back down at Naruto who had pink dusted across his whiskered face, knowing that he had been caught.

"Okay, how much did you hear? And for your information, I was talking to Kyuubi!"

Gaara rolled his eyes, "That horse won't answer you back, no matter how hard you try. But I on the other hand can." He was silent for a while before speaking again, "Even if he is a stuck up prick, he is human. This means he bound to make mistakes; and coming from his family, he feels he needs to do something to show that he's as good as his brother; that's sibling rivalry for you. He was raised differently from you and has gotten a lot of what he wants, and now that something is in his way, he's going to fight that obstacle in his way."

Naruto snorted, "I know all that. It's just."

The red head fought the urge to smile, "I know, our poor little Naruto has never been in a relationship before and doesn't know what he's feeling or what to expect. Jiraiya will be so excited to find out that someone has caught your eye, and can you imagine how our long lost groom will take to this."

Gaara reared back as Naruto clamped a hand around his mouth, "Don't you dare tell him; he'll never let me live this down. And he's the reason why I've never gotten into a relationship; he scares me."

He leaned against the stall door with a hand in his pocket, "This is true. But he's away and you know what they say. When the cat is away, the mice will come out to play, or something like that. So, can I take it then, from earlier conversations to this one know, that you like the younger Uchiha."

The pink stained checks were a dead give away but he couldn't go on that alone, and he shoved his other hand in his pockets while waiting for Naruto to answer.

"Yea, I like him."

Gaara smirked, that was all he needed to hear, but he shrugged anyway, "You never know, he could be just as confused as you."

Naruto laughed, "Sure, that'll be the day."

\------

Thursday morning, Gaara strolled along the pavement that separated the rail from the bleachers; trying to stop the crazy smile that threatened to overcome his face. He didn't want to scare anyone after all. At the railing, Itachi stood with a group of the grooms from his farm as they waited for their horses to come off the track, while next to him, Sakura was waiting for Naruto.

"You look like you just did something really bad." Kiba stated as the redhead leaned against the railing, "What did you do?"

Gaara smirked and brought out his phone and placed it on the speaker so everyone could hear,

"…That you like the younger Uchiha." Gaara's voice filtered through the phone. There was a moment of silence before, "Yeah, I like him." Naruto's voice answered before the phone was snapped shut.

He held out his hand, "Pay up."

\-------

Friday morning, Gaara was still content. He collected close to sixty dollars the other morning, amidst the grumbling of the others, and the squealing of Sakura and Ino, but now, he needed to deal with something else that was going to be much less pleasant.

Dealing with the younger Uchiha.

It was not so much for himself as it was for Naruto, but he would be killing two birds with one stone by doing this.

He found the raven sipping some coffee in the cafeteria and he made his way over to the table, standing next to it, "Uchiha."

"Hn."

Gaara slipped into the chair across from him and Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him, and began to get up.

"Sit." He said sharply.

Sasuke glared at him, but the red head held the glare until Sasuke settled back into the chair.

"You know a few days back, Naruto came to me saying some pretty weird things. Such things as, 'The Uchiha is bribing me to throw the race' and such. At first, I didn't believe him, I mean, this is Naruto after all and sometimes he can make things up. However, I found out that he was telling the truth a little later. Tell me, Uchiha, do you really think that we drug our horses?"

Sasuke's eyes widened. He didn't know anyone else had heard the conversation. "No, and like I said to him earlier, I didn't believe you did. Both of you care for your colts too much to do that. And before you ask, I didn't accept anything from him, I want to beat Naruto on my own."

Gaara snorted, "Then why the bribe? I thought Uchiha's, you of all people, would be above that."

"Naruto said the same thing, am I going to get this lecture twice?" Sasuke asked annoyed.

"Did he ask you what you race for?"

"Yes."

"What did you answer?"

Sasuke paused, he had thought about that question ever since Naruto had asked it and for some reason, he was bothered by it. "I said that I raced for myself, but he didn't believe me."

"For obvious reasons. Anyone can see that you race to be better than your brother Sasuke."

"Why does Itachi always have to come into this conversation? Naruto said the same thing, but how can he know what I'm up against?"

Gaara hesitated, wondering how much to give away before the blond jockey strangled him, "He does have standards that he is up against, you just don't know about them. Did you know that his mother was a jockey? One of the best female jockeys in her time, but like everything, time changes and others step up. But she's still known if you ask around."

"He never mentioned his mother before." Sasuke said. "And I've never seen her either."

"No need for me to keep telling you more when it's not my information to share." Gaara said, ending the subject. "However, unlike you, he's not determined to beat whatever his mother did or what someone else did the year before. For him, it is about the connection he gets with riding Kyuubi and the feeling of speed beneath him. He's learned to stand on his own two feet despite what his past influences have done, and I think that he wants you to learn the same thing."

Sasuke eyed him, "Why are you telling me this?"

The other jockey shrugged, "I'm sure Naruto told you that you and your brother are two separate people and should be treated as such, and winning isn't everything. I'm just here to make sure you understand what he told you and reinforce it. But I can tell you something now. He is right about you and your brother; the grudge you hold against him is preventing you from winning, and winning should never taste bitter, like it would if Naruto let you win. Finishing, in any place should give you the feeling that you did everything possible for your horse, and helped him reach the potential during the race."

"Is that what he told you?"

Gaara smirked, "Naruto is different in that sense. To him, it's more about the horse than the rider and he always puts that first. The stable that I came from thought the same way you do now, but after I trained under him, everything shifted. It wasn't about winning no matter what, it was about feeling the horse under you, and the motion that you're flying over the track, and its just you and the horse. At one point in your life, you must have felt that way about riding. Ask your brother what I mean, after all, Naruto admirers his riding style."

Sasuke's head shot up at this statement and Gaara stood up, "I need to get back, their probably looking for me. By the way, what you heard about me isn't the full truth, so don't judge either myself or Naruto from what you heard."

He walked away, leaving a very confused Sasuke with a cup of cold coffee.

\--------

Itachi was reading a book when a shadow blocked out his light. Annoyed, he looked up into the face of his younger brother.

"Sasuke, what's the matter?" he asked. His brother had rarely spoken to him the entire week they were there, and Sasuke coming up out of the blue, astonished Itachi.

"Why," he asked slowly, "Did you stop racing?"

He put the book away, something in Sasuke's eyes told him that this was going to one of those 'serious' conversations.

"I told you before, I stopped because of father. You never wanted to race, I know that Sasuke; but you did because of me, and I figured, that if I retired, you would be easier on yourself, as would father. Obviously, I was wrong."

"Don't you miss it? The feeling of the horse underneath you, the sensation that you're flying, and the time when it's just you and the horse?"

Itachi was taken back by the question. He never knew of his brother to describe racing that way, the only time he described something like that was when he younger and doing what he wanted. "Yes. Sometimes I do."

"Then why stop if you loved it so much? There had to be something else beside my sake."

"Because at times, our father can be too overbearing. I loved racing, but when it no longer held the feeling that I looked forward to when I raced, I had to stop. Father placed his desires on me, such as winning for the fame and money, and I refused to be his puppet. However, you, Sasuke, you never questioned father's desires, and you took his as your own, never stopping to think about what you wanted. All so you could please father."

Sasuke stared at the dirt, "Yeah, that's what the idiot said too. Well not along the same lines, but he said something about not racing for myself, but racing for father."

"He's correct in stating that."

"Don't remind me." Sasuke huffed, "He also said that you raced differently. What did he mean by that?"

Itachi's eyes flickered, "I raced the way Naruto does now. Not so much concerned about the outcome, but instead for the horse. Spending time with him throughout the day of the race and just relaxing. You asked me a while back if I thought horses had feelings and in both Naruto's perspective and mine, they do. Tobi and Madara know what your feeling; I know that two weeks ago you felt angry when Naruto passed you, causing Tobi to slow down."

There was a moment of silence as Sasuke thought about Itachi's words. They seemed to blend together with Naruto's, and everything the blond had said a few days back and over the past few weeks was starting to make sense. Great, now he felt like a jerk.

"One last thing." Sasuke said, bringing Itachi's attention back to him, "Were you serious, about what you at the Derby; about me coming in any place?"

"I don't sugar coat things, Sasuke, nor do I say things that are unnecessary. I could care less about what place you come in, as long as you tried and worked out every possible solution. But you shouldn't be worried about what I or father think. You are a great rider, and no one should judge you from what place you come in, or say otherwise."

Sasuke nodded and turned around, heading toward the exit. He paused before he made his way out, "Thanks Itachi," 'It means a lot to me.' He finished in his mind.

Itachi smirked and picked up his book, it looked like things were working out after all.

\----------

Saturday morning, Naruto took Kyuubi out for one last, light run. The colt seemed to be in high spirits, prancing across the track, and easily focusing on the short run that Naruto put him through. Once the horse was finished with his workout, they made their way to the railing where Gaara and Sakura were waiting for him. They smiled at him, before walking along side him.

"Are you ready for this afternoon?" Gaara asked.

Naruto nodded, "Same as we were two weeks ago."

The jockey slid off the saddle, allowing Sakura to take the tack and place it on the trunk. She already knew that Naruto wanted to take care of the colt again like he did at the Derby and she told them that she was going to get breakfast, then left, leaving Naruto and Gaara to take care of the mischievous horse.

Gaara noticed the blue eyes that stayed glued on Kyuubi's coat instead of glancing down the shed row. All the colts running in the Preakness were staying in the Stakes Barn; including the number five horse; Tobi. He also knew that no matter how mad the blond was at the younger Uchiha, he would never let it affect his race or Kyuubi in any way.

Once the chestnut was dried off, they draped a blanket over his body and led him back to his stall, where Kyuubi plunged his nose into the feed. Naruto threw himself onto the cushioned stall floor and glanced up at Gaara. "What are you going to do today?"

The red head shrugged, "I think I might bet and just enjoy the sights."

Naruto rolled his eyes before waving the other jockey off and placed his headphones into his ears. He let out a sigh and placed a hand on Kyuubi's nose when the colt came over to him, before letting the horse calm his nerves down.

\------

Sasuke let out a huff as he glanced down the aisle way. He knew what he needed to do, but it wasn't something that he normally did and he was still trying to decide if he should wait before or after the race to do it. A hand was placed on his shoulder and he turned to find his brother behind him.

"Relax Sasuke."

"I am. I'm just thinking about something else. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Do you not trust your older brother after all this time?"

The raven snorted but let himself into the stall. Tobi turned away from his feed, ears flickering towards him as Sasuke walked forward. The dark chestnut butted his nose against Sasuke's hand, and the jockey felt a small smile reach his face.

"Hey Tobi." He said softly, "Are you ready to race this afternoon?"

Tobi snorted and pranced excitedly in his stall, and outside, Itachi smirked at the colts antics.

\------

Noon passed by quickly and the afternoon races were starting to wrap up as the two jockeys left the quiet shed row. Naruto had led Kyuubi around the stable earlier to stretch his legs before leading him back to the stall where they waited for another hour before Sakura came over and told them that he needed to change.

The silence in the jockey's room was broken only by the noise from the TV as they played the afternoon's races and the sound of papers rustling. There were very few jockeys in the room at the moment, and Sasuke glanced around, trying to find a head of bright blond hair. He found it sitting in the corner of the room, listening to some music and minding his own business.

Letting out a sigh, he made his way over to the corner where Naruto was. The blond glanced up when he felt his presence and blue eyes narrowed, "I don't want to talk to you Sasuke, nor do I want your offer."

Sasuke bit back the remark that was sitting on his tongue and moved to sit down, but Naruto quickly stood up. "What part of 'I don't want to talk to you', do you not understand?"

"Look, just listen to me for a second. I promise it has nothing to do with what your thinking about."

"Why should I? I think I've lost all respect for you."

The raven looked away. He should have expected this kind of reaction, and he was surprised at how much it hurt, but he didn't think the Eclipse jockey was going to be so stubborn. "Please."

Naruto turned back to face Sasuke when he heard the underlying plea in the word, and even he knew, Uchiha's didn't beg. He huffed slightly and headed towards the corner of the room where it was the quietest, gesturing for Sasuke to follow.

"Okay, you have my attention, but I swear, if you even think about it; I'll make sure you can't race today."

A smirk fluttered across Sasuke's face before it turned serious again. "Look, I don't know what I was thinking that day." Naruto raised his eyebrow, "Okay fine, I did, but I have never done that before. I think I was so focused with pleasing my father and winning it just got out of control. But what you said after that; it made me think."

Sasuke paused and Naruto fought the urge to poke him, and simply said, "Continue."

"You were right. I race more for the fame and acknowledgement from my father, and not for what I want. I never really thought about what I wanted when I first started to race. All I heard growing up was, Itachi this, and Itachi that. Then my father expected me to take after Itachi and start racing as well."

"Obviously you didn't want that." Naruto stated, "I could tell ever since the day I met you. You had this look on your face that said, I like the sport, but I'm only doing it because I have to."

The raven chuckled, "Maybe it is like that for me. But you, you really like racing, and I think I finally understand what you were talking about all those times back."

Naruto hummed happily at this and closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall. Perhaps there was a chance still.

"One more thing, about today's race," Sasuke said, and Naruto opened his eyes, locking them with the ravens, "I want a clean, honest race, nothing held back, from either of us."

A smile spread across Naruto's face, "Deal."

The grin was contagious, and Sasuke could feel the corners of his lips turning up slightly. This in return, made Naruto snicker and poke him in the cheek, "You should smile more often, you look nice."

He turned around so he could change, missing out on the minor blush that spread over the Uchiha's cheeks.

\---------

A sense of calm had settled over both jockeys after their meeting, and Sasuke found himself looking forward to just racing without the threat of disappointment from his brother. He was also surprised at the feeling of ease he felt as he followed Naruto out of the picture room and towards saddling area. No words were exchanged, but the raging eyes that glared at him earlier that day had calmed down when the passed by each other for the last time.

The horses were waiting for the jockeys outside on the turf track, giving everyone a chance to look over them as they walked from the Stakes Barn to the track. Tobi was excited as he approached the small group of handlers. He shoved his nose into the waiting hand, and Sasuke ran a hand over the colt's neck.

"You ready?"

Sasuke nodded his head, for once, he knew what he wanted and how he was going to get it.

"Okay, the Preakness is a furlong shorter than the Derby. Try and get him close to the front, and hold a position close to the rail. This is going to seem just like a normal race for him, the field isn't crowded and the length is normal for him."

\------

The call for riders up echoed around the turf area and Sasuke accepted the leg up from Kakashi, before he was led out onto the track.

Kyuubi snorted as he approached, wind kicking up his thick mane. The colt looked ready and it was the perfect day to race, not too sunny, and the weather that made the chestnut energetic.

He placed a hand on Kyuubi's shoulder, as the horse nuzzled him. They locked eyes for a moment, dark brown eyes drinking in the bright blue eyes in front of him, before Jiraiya grabbed his attention.

"You're breaking from gate three, try to get him to the rail and hold him there. If he gets the lead near the end and no one is there, let him cruise, we don't need him exhausted for the next race. Keep him close to the front, but he has no need to lead the whole way, let someone else push the lead and you'll be fine." He ruffled his hair, "Good luck brat."

Naruto smirked and vaulted onto Kyuubi's back as Sakura and Gaara led him to the edge of the track where the awaiting pony took him.

\-------

The colts pranced across the track, arching their slender necks, and showing off their muscles to the on looking crowd. 'Maryland, My Maryland' was playing over the speaker as they circled the track, finishing up their last minute warm ups. Pony riders handed their mounts off to the loaders who carefully guided the horses into the gates as the excitement in the stadium began to reach exploding levels.

Soon all the horses were loaded and silence settled onto the track; the calm before the storm. Then all hell broke loose as the gates opened and fourteen horses shot out onto the dirt packed track and the excitement spilled over.

Naruto angled Kyuubi onto the railing, holding his spot comfortably as they moved down the straight for the first time. Kyuubi was running nicely, and they had broken without any bumps, making the colt want more.

Tobi was four horses outside from the railing and Sasuke decided to not fight the others to get there. The colt was moving nicely in the spot that he held and Sasuke knew that once they moved around the turn, he would get closer to the inside railing as the horses thinned out. He could see the blur that was Kyuubi in a position near the rail, but the desire to catch him wasn't there yet.

As the pack moved around the turn, the move that Sasuke wanted came as he angled the horse closer to the rail, three horses off the leader. He checked Tobi, as they came out of the large arch and settled the colt down. Tobi was ready to race and chase after the leader, but he wanted to hold him back a bit more until the leader faded.

Kyuubi was a length off the leader, and asking Naruto for more rein. He wanted to run and catch the leader; he could feel the track beneath him and the energy that ran through his body. A couple more strides passed before the half way pole flashed by and Kyuubi got his wish.

Naruto decided to let the colt run, there was no sense in holding the colt back and wasting the energy the he had. A small amount of rein slipped through his fingers and Kyuubi took the rein, picking up the speed. Black hooves dug into the track as they passed the leader and they moved into the large turn, but the control was still under Naruto's hands.

Sasuke guided Tobi closer to the fallen leader, passing him with ease. Tobi had energy to give, and he wanted the new leader, something that he was willing to give to the colt in a few more seconds. There were only a length behind Kyuubi, but the colt looked like he wasn't ready to give his newly held lead without at fight. He allowed the reins to move through his hands, and Tobi lengthen his strides as they came around the turn.

_'Do you really want to race, or is this something for your father? I've lost all respect for you. It's about the feeling of flying down the track and the feeling of speed underneath you. You are two separate people; no one should ever clump you together. No matter what you do, I'll always be proud of you. I want an honest race today, nothing held back.'_

Sasuke felt his eyes widen at the sudden onslaught of voices in the span of two seconds, even though it felt like time had slowed down. Beneath him, Tobi was still running strongly, ears perked as they neared the lead horse. He could hear the whistle of the wind his ears for the first time, the muffled noise from the crowd and hooves hitting the track. They were out of the turn and when Tobi switched leads, he suddenly felt time speed up, and his heart was in his throat; it felt like he was flying.

_'It's about the feeling of flying down the track; and the speed underneath you.'_

Naruto glanced under his arm, smirking when he recognized the colt that was catching them. Kyuubi was still running strong and he wanted to keep the pace, but for some reason, he knew Sasuke wasn't going to just let him win.

"I'm sorry Kyuubi," he said and an ear flickered back, catching not only the jockey's voice, but the pounding of another horse behind him, "I'm going to have to ask you for just a bit more. Please?"

The reins slid through his fingers as Tobi pulled up closer to them, head nearing Naruto's saddle. Kyuubi stretched out his stride as the wire came closer, but the battle between the two colts was just starting.

As Kyuubi lengthened out, Tobi came closer, not wanting to let the lighter chestnut escape his sight. He soon pulled almost even with the other colt, as they passed the last marker before the wire. The two jockeys couldn't hear the screams of the crowd nor feel the excitement that spilled onto the track and into the air. Instead, it was silent to them except for the breathing of their colts and the sound of their hooves hitting the track over and over. Soon, their colts matched speed, almost running with each other, stride for stride, as the wire came closer.

Nose to nose, each fighting for the smallest of leads and the last bit of energy that would give them that lead. The crowd couldn't see it, but the jockey's did as the chestnut seemed to find another gear, and pushed forward with speed.

The words 'Flash Photography' flashed across the board as the two chestnuts crossed under the wire, too close for anyone to tell which one finished first. However, the jockeys knew which chestnut pushed forward at the last moment as they galloped out around the turn, slowing them down. They sparred a glance at each, and even though the goggles made it impossible to see their eyes, they knew there was no anger in either pair.

Because for the first time since he started racing, he didn't care that he came in second.


	10. Realizing the Truth

Sunlight filtered through the leaves as a cool breeze danced across the river and ripples played along the water as a figure bobbed up for air. It glanced across the pond to make sure that the red chestnut was still grazing nearby, before ducking back under the water, weaving in between the sunlight that steamed in through the water.

The chestnut paused from his grazing and glanced towards the water where his human had disappeared under. Ears flickered forward at the lack of noise and he took a hesitant step towards the edge of the pond; only to be sprayed with water.

Naruto laughed as Kyuubi jumped away from the water. Droplets of water dripped off his mane, as the horse snorted his displeasure. His blond human snickered again before moving back to the center of the pond, floating on his back and occasionally whistling a random tune. The little two-legged being was happy at the moment, enjoying the time in between races, and he decided to let him have fun as well.

They rarely went out for just random rides anymore, the others fearing injury before a race, but Naruto had suggested that they go to the pond where the grass was the best, and the water would help cool them down during the hot May day. Kyuubi enjoyed the time he spent with his human, knowing that they would have another race soon. But this race was causing a lot of tension in the air.

The media had been crawling over the farm for the first part of the week, trying to get a picture of the horse or an interview with someone. This made Naruto extremely protective, keeping the horses in the barn during that time, and even going as far as attacking a reporter to the ground when she tried to get in the barn. Needless to say that after that incident, the media stayed away.

Now things had calmed down, allowing the entire farm to relax a bit more and not think about the upcoming race and the pressures that were being placed on them. The race wasn't mentioned by name, more by the date since Lee claimed it was bad luck. While the others scoffed at his thinking, the idea stayed in their minds and soon, everyone was calling the race by date instead of name.

Naruto sighed, allowing the sun to warm his stomach, before closing his eyes and letting his mind drift away.

On the banks, Kyuubi glanced at the body in the middle of the pond. His human seemed to be sleeping without a care in the world, ignoring all sense of danger. He took a careful step forward, hooves squishing in the soft mud. A few more steps brought him into the water, where he carefully moved through the water, bringing himself closer to the body. The ripples of water bumped against Naruto, bringing him back to the world. He glanced over to the bank to make sure Kyuubi was still there, only to find the chestnut mere inches from his face.

He screamed out in shock, causing him to sink the process. When he resurfaced, Kyuubi was letting out his version of, what Naruto came to believe, as a laugh. The horse's dark eyes gleamed with mischief and somehow Naruto knew that the colt wouldn't let him get away with the earlier splash.

"Well, two can play this game."

\------

"Don't mope, it's unbefitting of you."

Itachi drawled.

"I'm not moping, I'm bored."

Sasuke snapped.

"I find that hard to believe."

"Shut up."

"Well, if you're not moping, and your only bored; go be bored somewhere else, I have work to do."

Itachi answered.

Sasuke huffed at his brother but stood up anyway. He was halfway to the door when Itachi spoke again, "If you're so bored, take Sanis for a ride. I'm sure she would to go for a trail ride."

"She's mad at me."

Itachi smirked, "Then go see our 'Horse Whisperer', he seems to have a way with horses."

Sasuke shot him a glare and made his way out of the study. He walked through the long hallway in deep thought, knowing that Itachi was right. Sanis needed exercise and it would help relieve him of his boredom, but whenever he started to train her again, he became frustrated. And it wasn't entirely true that he was bored, he was just putting something off.

Apologizing to Naruto.

Even though he said something at the Preakness, it was short and rushed. Naruto had showed him another side to racing, one that he had never seen before, and it made him realize that he could be friends with other jockeys. Well, maybe 'friend' was too strong of a word right now, colleague was better.

He found his way to Sanis, and she let out a snort. She was ready to go for a ride since he hadn't ridden her since his argument with Naruto before the Derby. After a quick grooming, he mounted and led her to the trail that went towards the Eclipse farm. Sasuke could feel her slowing down as they approached, and he knew that she was remembering the river. He briefly wondered if he should just hire someone to train her, it would be easier and much less stressful on him, but that was the easy way out.

When they reached the river, Sasuke directed her downstream, thinking the river eventually cut off somewhere. However, the water seemed to get wider and soon the sound of splashing reached his ears. He frowned, thinking that the water met up with another stream and was about to leave, when he heard something else.

Laughter.

Sanis flickered her ears forward at the noise and started to walk closer. She seemed to know what she was doing, so Sasuke allowed her to move closer to the laughing, and as they came closer, he could make out words.

"Kyuubi, stop it, I can't swim as fast as you. You're cheating!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, only Naruto could think a horse was cheating at something. Sanis edged closer and the source of all the noise came into view as they rounded a tree and he could see the blond jockey and his horse swimming through the water. He decided to sit and watch for a while, amused at the chestnuts antics as he nipped at Naruto's hair, swimming away before he could get caught.

Finally, the horse seemed to pity the teen and slowed down enough for Naruto to grab hold of the mane and swing himself onto his back. Naruto grinned in triumph, thinking he won, before the horse planted his hooves on the sandy bottom and jumped to the side. The blond let out a yelp as he tumbled from the colt's back, and landed in the water.

Kyuubi circled around the area, waiting for him to resurface. After a while, he began to worry when the little blond head didn't appear again. He brought his head closer to the surface of the water, and let out a squeal as hands came up, grabbing his neck. Naruto laughed slightly and swung himself back on the horse, and Kyuubi complied to give his human a small ride around the pond.

Sasuke chuckled from where he stood. He had never seen anyone act that way with a horse before, treating them as a brother. Sasuke was also enjoying watching Naruto, who was wearing only trunks, showing off his lean body. It would be a lie if he said that he didn't find the blond attractive, but he never really had the chance to just look before. Stupid competitive streak.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't feel Sanis shifting under him. She was hot and tired of standing still while the other horse was having fun with his human. Finally, she decided that her human needed to have fun and she took off towards the water.

Both Kyuubi and Naruto looked up at the sound of approaching hooves, only to see the grey mare duck to the side when she reached the edge of the water; effectively sending Sasuke into the water.

Teach him to leave her alone for almost a whole month.

She let out a loud whiny and pranced along the edge while Sasuke resurfaced, shaking water out of his eyes. He glared at her, before a snort behind him caught his attention.

Naruto was biting his lips, trying as hard as he could to not laugh and failing miserably. He started to laugh as Sasuke continued to glare at him, holding onto Kyuubi's neck for balance and smothering his laughter into his mane.

Finally, Sasuke had enough and swam over to the blond. He reached up and grabbed Naruto's arm, yanking him off the horse.

He yelped as he fell into the water again. When he came up, Sasuke was smirking at him, and Naruto couldn't help but smile. They made their way to the bank where Sasuke caught Sanis and scolded her for doing that while Naruto snickered again.

"So what are you doing here?" Naruto asked as Sasuke loosened the girth.

Sasuke didn't answer at first, trying to figure out how to word his next sentence. He wasn't sure if Naruto was still holding a grudge after his latest 'offer', and he was unsure if he should bring it up again. After sucking in a deep breath, he plowed forward, "Naruto, about last week, I, I'm sorry. I know I said this already, but even now, I can't believe I did that. I wasn't thinking straight, and if you're not still mad at me, maybe we could start over?"

He finished in a rush and glanced at Naruto. The blond was turned away from him and he couldn't see his face, but his shoulders were shaking. He sighed, some how he should have known that he was still mad, and he didn't blame him.

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I'll see you later."

He was about to take a step forward when a hand on his chest stopped him. He glanced at the hand, then at the blond who was holding him back. Before he could ask what was wrong, he felt himself falling backwards and into the water. Again.

When he came up again, he saw Naruto rolling on the ground, laughing his head off. By the time the blond gained control of his breath, Sasuke was back on the bank and glaring down at him. "I'm sorry Sasuke, but you seemed so serious and sad at the same time."

"Well, I don't apologize a lot." Sasuke said somewhat sheepishly, "And I didn't want to make you angry again by bringing it up, but I just -."

Naruto shook his head, cutting Sasuke off, "Stop. You said sorry already like three times. I get it, you're sorry."

Sasuke looked down at Naruto who was still smiling. Droplets of water clung to his bangs, while his hair was plastered to his face. He finally broke out his stare and straightened up. "Well, I need to get back. Itachi's probably thinking I died or something."

"Did Itachi tell you to come over?" Naruto asked, standing up. He still remembered the last time he came over on Itachi's consent, and he was hoping it wouldn't turn out like that again.

Sasuke shook his head, "No. I wanted to come over earlier, but I turned into Shikamaru for a day or two and procrastinated. He just kicked me out of the house for a while and told me to train Sanis."

"What are you training her for?" Naruto asked curiously. To his surprise, Sasuke looked embarrassed.

"Just some stuff. You know, getting her out of racing." He danced around the subject, but looking up at Naruto's face told him that the blond wasn't buying it. "Fine, I'm training her to jump."

"I thought you said she pulled a tendon. Aren't you worried about the jumping affect it?" he questioned.

Sasuke shifted slightly, "I lied. She never pulled a tendon. Sanis was trained to race, but she didn't have the heart for it and was sold. I've been training her sense."

Naruto cocked his head to the side, "Can I see her jump?"

"No."

He huffed at the answer and reached for Kyuubi's halter that was hanging on a branch. After catching the colt, he climbed on his back and gestured to Sasuke, "Come on Uchiha."

Sasuke eyed him, "Where are we going?"

"I'm going to show you my horse."

"You're on him." Sasuke stated.

His response was a large grin, "Don't you remember anything from that tour Sakura gave you?"

"Hn."

"I thought so. Now come on."

Sasuke sighed and swung into the saddle. He had nothing else to do, might as well humor the blond.

Their trip back through the forest was uneventful. Sanis didn't try anything and Sasuke found it only mildly amusing that his horse had even pulled something like that. A few weeks ago, he would have said that they were animals and didn't posses the intelligence to do such a thing. Sanis was proving this difficult. Not only Sanis, but also Kyuubi. Even though the colt was Naruto's and he didn't seem him everyday, it didn't take a genius to figure out that the horse was smart.

The chestnut was tired from the day's earlier events, but he still had plenty of fight left in him as Naruto slid the halter off his head. Once free of the headpiece, he nipped lightly at the blond and set out at a canter around his paddock, kicking up his heels before settling down to graze.

Sasuke shook his head; it was easy to see how the colt had won the last two races.

"Let Sanis rest for a while in the paddock over there, and then we'll go change." Naruto said, breaking him from his thoughts.

"Sure, let me just pull out my spare clothing." Sasuke said sarcastically.

"I have spare riding clothes, unless you insist on riding in breaches and a nicely pressed shirt all the time." Naruto answered; a teasing tone in his voice.

Sasuke looked down at his still wet outfit. It was habit to wear the breaches; he had done so since he was little and never thought anything about it. "Jeans will be fine."

The blond rolled his eyes, "Of course your highness."

They made their way to the bunkhouse, and Sasuke found himself surprised that Naruto didn't stay in the main house with Iruka or somewhere else. When he questioned the blond all he got was that didn't want to bother Iruka and he didn't want to go anywhere else. When they entered, Gaara glanced up and arched an 'eyebrow' at the wet Uchiha.

"Sanis dumped him in the pond!" Naruto explained happily, still enjoying the memory. "We're going to go change before I show him the back of the farm."

Gaara nodded and said tersely, "You have a missed call. Said he'll be in New York to watch you race since he has a meeting there that week."

Naruto scowled, "Did you tell him that he shouldn't bother."

The redhead gave him a pointed stare, "It wasn't my phone call to take. I figured you'd want to know now, instead of the day of the race."

"They both sound so great." Naruto answered sarcastically, "Thanks anyway."

"Anytime." He said offhand and went back to work on his computer.

He ignored Sasuke's questioning look and told Sasuke to follow him. They climbed up the steps and Naruto hesitated outside his bedroom door, "Um, my room is really messy, hold on a sec." The blond slipped inside the room and shut the door quickly, but Sasuke still caught a glimpse of the messy room. He could hear drawers shutting and slamming before the door was opened again and some clothes were shoved in his face. "These should fit; bathrooms down the hall."

Sasuke suppressed the feeling to roll his eyes and made his way to change. Once he was changed he wondered downstairs asking Gaara what he should do with his wet clothes, and the other jockey told him he would take care of them. Somehow, Sasuke didn't like the way the way it was said but left the clothes on the counter. Upstairs, there was a cry of anguish before Naruto appeared, clad in light blue boxers.

"Gaara, what did you do with all my jeans?" he cried.

"They were dirty and today is laundry day."

"I don't have any pants! How am I supposed to ride?"

"Not in boxers." Came the answer.

Naruto looked down and blushed when he realized what he was wearing. "Do-don't change the subject and don't laugh Sasuke." He pouted, "The only pair of pants I have left in my drawers are- no, no, no, you're not making me wear them."

"Naruto, just go change." Gaara answered, the smallest bit of amusement lacing his voice.

"I hate you."

The blonde-haired jockey trudged back upstairs, kicking the steps in the process. Sasuke watched him go and Gaara spoke up, answering the question that was racing through his mind, "Don't worry, those pants are clean, there too big for him so he hasn't worn them. He tends to wait until he has nothing to wear before doing laundry."

Upstairs, Naruto was staring in disgust at the pants in front of him. He didn't mind them, really. If anything, it reminded him of years ago when he was still competing and those were good times, but damn these pants were tight and uncomfortable! After finally slipping them on and drying off his hair one more time, he wondered back downstairs.

Gaara glanced up and Naruto swore he snickered at him. "Sh-shut up! You did this on purpose."

"Right, because I knew you were going riding today."

Naruto huffed at him, and then turned to Sasuke, "Say one word, and I swear."

Sasuke just smirked, though he hid his surprise. He didn't think of Naruto as the one to own riding breeches; he seemed more of the jeans type rider. Still, the breeches clung to Naruto's small frame, making Neji's previous remark in Florida came to his mind. The fawn colored pants blended in nicely with Naruto's tan, but the bright black boots brought the colors of his eyes out more. He tore his eyes off the blonde-haired jockey, following him outside.

Behind him, Gaara's voice floated through the bunkhouse, "Don't tempt him with the pants thing, one word and he will go off on you."

Naruto led them to the second barn and Sasuke vaguely remembering Iruka telling him that the retired horses stayed in the barn. The barn was cool and somewhat quiet when they entered; the only sounds were the shuffling of bedding and an occasional call of a horse. Near the back of the barn, voices were heard, and they could both make out Sakura's and Hinata's voice. Their suspicions were confirmed when they rounded the corner and saw them looking over a horse with Tsunade.

Sakura looked up and her face lit up with a smile, "Naruto you look so adorable! But why are you wearing your breeches?"

"Gaara. Wash. No jeans." He said, making the groom snicker.

"I haven't seen you wear those in a while." Hinata spoke up after studying the blond, "Are you training again?"

"No. I'm just going for a ride with Sasuke and he needs some ground basics anyway. Speaking of that, Sakura, do you mind setting up the back for me, four feet?" Naruto asked, putting on his best pleading look.

"Fine. But only cause you look so cute."

Naruto grumbled and they continued through the stable before he stopped outside a stall. "Do you want to ride Sanis or another one of our horses?"

"I'll ride Sanis. Let me go get her."

"Okay, I'll meet you in the back when you finish. Just go to the right of this barn and you'll see some more rings."

Sasuke nodded and disappeared out of the stable. Naruto turned and looked inside the dark stall, where an even darker animal looked at him, dark eyes glinting with intelligence and seriousness. "Come on you. Let's get you back to the ring."

\-------

Of all the things Sasuke expected of Naruto's horse, this was not it.

After he had caught Sanis and re-tacked her; he followed the blonds' direction and found his way to the back rings. He had never seen them before, even though his trips over had been few and far between, lasting only an hour or so. He saw two large circular rings with a rectangular one in between them. The rectangular one had a low fence with small, plastic cards on the ground with letters on them, and he realized it was a dressage ring. The ring to the right of the boxed area had colorful jumps set up in an intricate pattern, while a dark horse moved over them and Sasuke itched to take Sanis over them.

However, the part that surprised him was that the rider on the horse, was Naruto.

He came closer to the railing and stood next to Sakura and Hinata, who were watching them jump. There were ten jumps set up, with a triple near the beginning of the course, a wide oxer in the middle and a set of doubles at the end, with a mix of easier jumps in the middle.

"How tall?" he questioned.

"Four feet." Sakura answered.

The horse moved fluidly over the jumps, leaving plenty of space over the rails and next to him, Hinata sighed. "They move so well together. Makes me miss the old times."

Sasuke looked over at her sharply before turning his gaze back to the ring where Naruto was bringing the horse up. He dismounted and led the dark horse over, allowing Sasuke to look over him. The gelding was a pure black color in the sunlight, with no sign of a white sock or leg markings. The only other color was the small white star on his forehead that looked like a wing.

"This is my horse; my first horse." Naruto said, "His name is Dark Angel, on account of his wing mark."

"That's not a retired race horse. He looks like he's been trained to jump all his life." Sasuke stated.

Naruto grinned, "Of course, he's an event horse."

"Why do you have an event horse? You're a jockey, you don't ride events."

Beside him, Hinata laughed quietly and Naruto grinned even more, "Would you believe me if I told you I was an event rider before I turned to racing? Besides, you're training Sanis to jump and you're a jockey." He could tell he hit a nerve, "Is that what you wanted to do, Sasuke, instead of racing?"

Sasuke's head shot up at his question. Sakura and Hinata exchanged looks and nodded to Naruto before leaving the two to talk. Once the two females left, Sasuke shuffled around before murmuring a yes. Naruto nodded his head as he led Dark Angel out of the ring before mounting and leading the way to a trail.

"I thought so. You confirmed it last week, and I had some suspicion when I first saw you, you didn't exactly scream that you were excited to race."

"But three day events take so much time, practice and patience to do." Sasuke sputtered, still having a hard time accepting what Naruto claimed. From what he knew about eventing, you had to have patience, especially for dressage, and an almost perfect horse to compete in higher levels. Not to mention the money it cost to do events and have an event horse.

He knew all about that side of riding since he wanted to event ever since he saw the Rolex Championship on TV one day. The way the horses moved over the jumps and seemed to dance across the flat in dressage, he wanted to do that so badly but his father wanted him to start racing like Itachi. When he told his father, it was an understatement to say that his dad was displeased with his choice. Over the years while he continued to ride, his father kept mentioning his brother's success until Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. He pushed his dream aside and followed his fathers and brothers footsteps so that his father would acknowledge him again.

"I've trained eventing all my life Sasuke." Naruto said, pulling Sasuke out of his thoughts, "When I first started to ride, I loved the feeling of it and wanted more. Everything about the sport just seemed to fall into place when I rode in events or trained. The sense of peace when working in dressage, the thrill of jumping into space and racing against the clock in cross-country, it just all seemed so natural.

"When I was old enough for a horse instead of a pony, Dark Angel was given to me. He was trained already of course in the basics, but he still needed some fine-tuning in many things, but after years of training, we finally ironed out most of the flaws. We competed of course, that was when I first met Hinata. She competed in some events before she decided to become a vet; she has grown a lot since then. Competing was always fun. Coming out with a ribbon or trophy made everything so much better, but no matter how much I won, there was always something missing."

Naruto stopped and his eyes clouded over with memories of years past, and Sasuke could easily tell that he loved eventing. But something still didn't click, even though he didn't talk about his family, he didn't know how the blond could have afforded it. He had heard that many of the elite riders had personal dressage and jumping coaches, and from the way Naruto was making it sound, he was a high-level competitor.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but how did you afford eventing? I heard it was expensive."

Something unrecognizable flickered across Naruto's face before he gave a hollow laugh, "Actually, that's what made me stop. It wasn't that I didn't have the money, we did. But, I didn't want the coaches and a better-trained horse that they offered me. Dark Angel just needed some more groundwork along with training, and I wanted to do that.

"Some people are under the assumption that eventers or anyone who shows in general have a lot of money, getting the best training money can buy. I've had countless people tell me that I won only because I had the best horse and training thanks to money, when in reality Dark Angel wasn't that expensive and I never had professional training outside from my own riding instructor who taught me to ride."

Sasuke glanced at Naruto, "But racing is the same way, it deals with bloodlines and how much you have to see if you can afford that bloodline."

Naruto chuckled, "But I'm not the one that buys the horse. I just ride them, something many people could do with time. Eventing isn't something a lot of people can just do."

"So you quit."

"Not necessarily. See the place that I boarded Dark Angel was next to a racing farm and one day I wondered over to look at the Thoroughbreds that Kentucky is so famous for. That's were I met Gaara for the first time. I begged him to show me around, and he finally let me see one of the stallions that he was handling for auction. It was amazing, to feel the power that the stallion was radiating and just the way he moved, after that I was hooked. I asked Tsunade if she worked with any smaller racing farms so I could apply there, and that's how I came here."

"Just like that?" Sasuke questioned, making sure Naruto heard him over the sound of cantering hooves.

"Well, I started out as a groom since I had a lot of experience with horses, but they put me up as an exercise rider a few months after that. Jiraiya said something about the horses taking to me. The first time I galloped a horse on the track, I found the thing I was missing, and I didn't want to give it up. A little while later I brought Dark Angel over so I could board him here, then I dragged Gaara with me to the farm. Since I was still an exercise rider and learning the basics, I could still train for eventing during the afternoon, and a year after that, I moved into the bunkhouse."

They pulled the horses out of the canter and into a walk. Sasuke couldn't help but think of the irony in the story, and wondering if someone up there switched their personalities. He shook his head, trying to piece everything together, trying to see if he could believe Naruto's story. True the blond could jump, but jumping was only one day in the eventing, and he still couldn't see him as the dressage type, however, horses tended to bring out different sides in people, and somehow, he knew that the story was true.

He wondered.

"Naruto, could you train Sanis for me? I'll pay you normal training fees of course."

"Nope."

"What? But you'd be the perfect person to teach her."

"Sorry Sasuke, but if you want to event, you'll have to teach her the finer points so you know how she moves. She knows the basics, just help her out a little and I'll offer my help."

Sasuke turned in his saddle to look at Naruto, "She doesn't know the basics." His voice dropped, "I can't even get her to jump for me."

Naruto blinked owlishly, the light finally clicking. "Ah."

"Go ahead and laugh."

"Why?" Naruto asked, "She was originally a racehorse, there would be no way she knows how to jump perfectly without any training. Is that why you wanted me to train her?"

Sasuke nodded, "Yes."

Next to him, Naruto pulled the gelding to a stop and Sasuke did the same. He was taken back by the serious expression on Naruto's face. "Is this what you want Sasuke?"

There was no hesitation in his answer this time, "More than anything."

Naruto smirked, "Okay" he said, drawing out the last letters, "'Cause, I'm going to tell you now, training Sanis will take a long time, it'll be years before she's even ready to compete at anything above a beginner level, she's extremely green. Dressage requires such precise moves and she has to be completely obedient to your every command, there can be no hesitation. It won't be easy."

Sasuke's face fell. He hadn't been expecting that kind of answer from the blond. Even if it was true, it had been brutally honest and he didn't know if he had the patience to wait that long to compete. There was an event in a few months that he wanted to enter, but now it seemed that he was going to have to wait more. Naruto seemed to notice his mood and instantly reassured him.

"Well, you know how to jump right? I mean you said you were training for eventing, so you have some basics."

"Yeah, I know how to jump and just a little bit about dressage."

"Well that's good." Naruto answered as he led the way back to the rings and opened the gate. He swung off Dark Angel and moved over to the jumps, lowering them to a height of two feet. Once they were all lowered, he walked back over to Sasuke and pointed to the ground, "Off."

After Sasuke shot him a look, he dismounted and Naruto thrust the reins at him. "Let's see what you can do."

There was a stunned silence before Sasuke stammered, "Re-Really?"

"Well now that I think about it." Naruto started but Sasuke quickly swung into the saddle and adjusted the stirrups. "Take him around the ring a bit to get used to him. He's really sensitive on his mouth unlike some racehorses, so don't jerk."

Sasuke nodded and lightly tapped the black Thoroughbred on the side. Instantly, he moved into a smooth walk, extending his stride without even being asked. Another tap brought him into an even smoother trot that made it easy to post to. After a while, Sasuke lined him up and pushed him into a canter, then moved towards the first jump. The feeling of being launched into space filled Sasuke again for the first time in many years and he missed it.

From the ground, Naruto watched as Sasuke moved the horse over the jumps. He could tell that it had been a while since Sasuke had jumped, but still, for being out for so long, he remembered most of the basics. He couldn't help the small smile that flickered across his face, knowing that he knew more than Sasuke right now and it also gave him an excuse to spend time with him. Naruto fought down the blush on his face as Sasuke finished and pulled up next to him.

"Well?" he asked.

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "You know, I'm not your family, you can be excited if you want." Sasuke blinked before allowing a small smile to grace his lips and his eyes shined with excitement, "Much better. Anyway, I'll be honest, you can tell it's been a while since you jumped last, but that's to be expected. Your hands are too heavy on his neck, your heals keep coming up, and if this were Sanis, she would have refused many jumps, you were relying on him too much to just jump. However, you have a natural seat and an eye for positioning. Those are things that don't come natural and are hard to teach, but everything else is easily fixed."

Sasuke nodded, taking in every word and Naruto could see the determination in his eyes, "Take him through one more time and focus on using your legs to guide him, instead of just letting him jump when he wants."

Horse and rider set out on the course again, proving to the ex-eventer that Sasuke wanted to learn. When they finished, he glanced at the sky and gestured for Sasuke to get down. "It's getting late and your brother will wonder where you are."

They swapped horses and made their way back to the front of the barn where Sakura was helping bring the horses in. She noticed them and stormed over, "Don't think you're getting out of chores tonight Naruto." She threatened, "You still need to groom Kyuubi from his adventure at the pond today among a few other things."

"I didn't forget." He said, "Just let me take Sasuke back and I'll help. Promise."

Sakura snorted but let him go. Once they were out of earshot Naruto groaned, "I completely forgot." Sasuke smirked at him.

When they reached the river, Naruto stopped him. "Are you busy tomorrow?"

"No. Schools out and I don't have any rides."

"Good, bring Sanis by tomorrow morning and we can start her training, then in the afternoon you can ride Dark Angel so you can work on your jumping."

Sasuke eyed him, "You're serious."

"Of course," Naruto answered, "We have three weeks before the next race, besides, you said you wanted this and I'm one of the best."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Fine. I'll be over at nine tomorrow." He turned Sanis towards the river and was surprised when she crossed it easily, and continued his way back home.

When he got home, he let one of the grooms take care of Sanis and trudged back to the house. His legs hurt already from using muscles he hadn't used in a long time, but he felt oddly content. He passed the living room and stopped when he saw his brother looking at some pictures on the wall.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Just thinking." Itachi answered and glanced at Sasuke, "Since when were you part of the Eclipse team?"

Sasuke looked down and realized he was still wearing Naruto's clothes. "Uh, Sanis dumped me in the pond downstream where Naruto was, and he gave me some new clothes."

Itachi raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. He found it amusing that his brother had spent the whole day at the other farm when, the last time he checked, Sasuke hated Naruto.

"I'm going to be gone tomorrow for the day again," Sasuke hesitated, "Naruto's teaching me eventing. Did you know that he used to be an eventer?"

Of course he knew. It was the biggest news in racing when he showed up to race for the first time. Many had said that if he stayed with the sport for a few more years he could have made an Olympic team with his horse, but at the same time, everyone knew about his mother and it was no surprise that he found himself drawn to the track. But Sasuke didn't need to know that, and it wasn't up to him to tell either.

"No, I didn't know that the jockey used to be an eventer. You should ask to trade lives with your friend."

Sasuke shot Itachi a glare, "I wouldn't call him a friend, more like a riding companion," he said before he headed up to his room so he could relax his tired body in a hot bath, but he still couldn't help but think about what his brother had said and how he answered to it.

\-------

Naruto sighed as he finished putting up the last of his clothing. He was tired when he got back but Sakura made sure to remind him that he still had chores to do, and when he finished those, Gaara shoved a pile of jeans at him. Downstairs Sakura was making dinner for them since it Wednesday; they tended to eat dinners together on those nights, and it was her time to cook. His stomach growled loudly for the food as he shut the last drawer and started to clean his floor of all the miscellaneous items that littered the area.

In the kitchen, Sakura looked over at Gaara who was placing the bowls on the worn table. "Did they really spend the whole day together?"

Gaara nodded, "Lets not forget that he came down only in boxers in front of him, and those breeches are a little on the tight side as well."

Sakura chucked before calling the blond down for dinner. A second later, a blond blur rushed through the kitchen settling itself on a chair, making everyone blink at the speed. Naruto laughed as they looked at him, "I was with Sasuke all day and I missed lunch." He whined.

"Sasuke left his clothes here." Gaara stated, "You'll have to take them over tomorrow."

Naruto heaped some pasta into his bowl and covered it with some red sauce, "He's coming over tomorrow morning; I'll give them to him then."

The pink haired groom raised an eyebrow at Gaara as Naruto started to shovel some food in his mouth, effectively ending the discussion.

\--------

It was early the next morning that Sasuke found himself on Eclipse's property again. His muscles ached still, but he knew they would stretch out as the day moved on. He let Sanis in the pasture that she stayed in the other day, and wondered up to the bunkhouse. Gaara was standing in the kitchen, stirring something in a bowl and glanced up as the door opened. He gave Sasuke a look then remembered that Naruto had said he would be over again today.

"He's upstairs in his room. He didn't sleep well last night and slept through his alarm clock."

"Gaara, Naruto told me yesterday that he used to be an eventer, how good is he?"

The redhead smirked as he poured the contents of the bowl into a pan on the stove, "He's good enough to coach you into a winning spot at an event."

Sasuke nodded and started to climb the steps. When he reached the top floor, he located Naruto's room and pushed the cracked door open a little more. It seemed that the blond was busy last night and cleaned his room. He turned around the small room, taking in everything. The door to the bathroom was located on the far side of the room, separated by a large wooden dresser on a blue wall. The wall itself was covered in random newspaper clippings; some were framed on a black mat while others were simply tacked up. There was a closet located on the wall that attached to the bathroom and a small nightstand stood to the right of it.

The wall that his bed was pushed against was covered in pictures of horses; he could only pick out Kyuubi and Dark Angel, the rest he had never seen before. Next to his bed was a small desk covered in books and papers filled with messy handwriting and quick sketches of tack equipment. It was the corner between the desk and bed that caught his attention. It was a tall bookshelf that held books on horse management, training and riding techniques along the bottom shelves, along with a model that looked like Kyuubi. But the most interesting part was the top shelves that were filled with several trophies; ribbons draped around their bases.

It was only now that he gave the papers on the wall another look. There were all about Naruto. Scribbled writing was on most of them, congratulating Naruto on his latest win and signed by a name he didn't recognize, and one of the framed articles had a stunning picture of him on Dark Angel, executing a beautiful dressage move. It had the same scribbled name in the corner of the picture with the article underneath the picture.

Naruto shifted on his bed and peaked an eye open. He took in the person who was standing in his room, staring at a picture. A flash of fear ran through his body and he grabbed the nearest book on his nightstand table and chunked it at the person's head.

"Get out of my room pervert!" he yelled as the book hit its target.

Sasuke winced and held his head as Naruto stood up quickly with another book in his hand, "You said you weren't going to be back for another month and a half, you dirty lair!"

"Wh- what?" Sasuke questioned, "You told me to come back yesterday, remember."

Naruto shook his head, the sleep finally leaving his body. "Sa-Sasuke?" He felt a fist connect with his head and he let out a cry of pain, "What was that for?"

"You threw a book at my head!" Sasuke snapped, "Who did you think I was?"

To his surprise, Naruto blushed. "Sorry. You took me by surprise; I thought you were one of our grooms that came back from break."

"Break?"

"Yeah, it's summer time, and we don't have many races going on now so we gave some of the hands the summer off." Naruto answered offhand, putting the book back on the shelf. "Haku and Zabuza are somewhere in Michigan, Temari and Kankuro are visiting family in Washington; Gaara opted not to go and the other… Well, he's off in another country working on a project, but he's supposed to be back by breeding time."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and Naruto ushered him out. "Let me change and brush before we head out. Hey, where are you going?"

"Bathroom."

He headed down the hall, trying to remember what door it was. He finally remembered and turned for the handle, only to be attacked by a blond blob. Sasuke glanced up and saw Naruto's wide eyes looking down at him. "That is not the bathroom, and don't you dare go in there."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "What's in there that's so scary? A ghost?"

Naruto glared at him. "A pervert lives there. Now, stay here." He said, pointing to the spot to help emphasize his point, "I'll be right back."

 _'This house is crazy.'_ He thought as he headed downstairs again.

When Naruto came downstairs and saw him in the kitchen, he stared at him, "What part of stay here, did you not understand?"

"The stay part."

"Whatever, lets go." He said, turning to leave, only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He glanced back and saw Gaara.

"Sakura said not to let you out until you had breakfast and to remind you to drink something. She thinks you were dehydrated last night."

"But, its getting late."

A vein pulsed in Gaara's forehead, "Naruto, I made breakfast, now eat." He pushed him down on the chair where some oatmeal was waiting for him.

Naruto pouted for a while but then grinned, "Okay, mother." The comment gave him another lump on the head and he ate in silence.

\---------

"Heh, sorry that took so long." Naruto apologized as they slipped the bit inside Sanis's mouth.

"Are your mornings normally that hectic?"

Naruto waved his hand, "Of course not, there normally much worse when everyone is back in the house."

Sasuke stared at him but the blond laughed it off and pushed the lunge line into his hands, along with a long whip.

"Surely you know how to lunge."

"A bit." He admitted.

"Well, get going then. I'm just here to watch and offer support."

Sasuke huffed, but sent the mare out at a trot around the enclosure. After a while of watching the grey horse move, Sasuke finally spoke up, "Were all those trophies from when you competed?"

Naruto laughed, "No, the rest are in storage, those are the ones that have the best memories for me. Those articles you were looking at were from my friend that's overseas; the one that's going to killing me when he gets back. He sends them to me telling me that he knows how I'm doing, he weird, but he's a good friend."

Sasuke was silent and focused back on Sanis, reversing the direction and moving her into a canter. Next to him, Naruto was silent, except for when he pointed something out that needed corrected. Sasuke found that despite the blonds' normally loud behavior, when he was training, he seemed to be calmer and quieter, making it easy to see him as an eventer.

As the day moved on, they found themselves being dragged back to the house where Sakura made sure that Naruto ate something and checked to make sure he was still feeling well. Even though he protested the treatment, he found himself humored by their worried attitudes as they headed out to the stables so Sasuke could tack up Dark Angel. Naruto had put Sanis in the field, pleased with her groundwork he had seen for the day.

He told Sasuke this as they entered the arena. "She has good ground foundation; this makes it easier for you when you finally work her in the saddle."

After adjusting the jumps and sending Sasuke through once, they were interrupted by Sakura who had a small cooler with her. "It's too hot out here to not have water." She stated, "I don't want you passing out."

Naruto grinned and thanked her. She waved to Sasuke and wished him luck, stating that Naruto was tough when he coached, then told the blond to go easy on him.

"They seem to really care about you." Sasuke said after a gulp of water.

"Well, we've been friends for a long time, and it only seems fair that we watch each others back. I would do the same thing for them."

Sasuke frowned. Naruto seemed to accept so many people, despite the fact that they were competing against him. He knew that Kiba and Neji thought of him as a friend and were often inviting the blonde-haired person to join them in watching a movie or doing something in town. Also, Gaara who raced with him seemed completely at ease with him, talking about race strategies without a care in the world of giving out important racing information. It also seemed that Hinata was good friends with him after meeting the blond in the eventing field.

It was a foreign idea to him. His entire career, he had stayed away from the other jockeys for that reason, and the thought of having a rival jockey as a friend just seemed weird. However, at the same time, there was no denying that they were closer because of this and seemed to always be happy.

"Hey Naruto." He called, "Do you consider me a friend?"

The blonde-haired jockey grinned, "Of course. Now get back to work, we only have two weeks before we leave for New York and you forget everything."

Sasuke's eye twitched but he led the gelding out to the course again.

\-----------

It was getting dark when Sasuke let himself into the house. His was extremely sore and he knew it would be worse the next morning, yet Naruto still wouldn't relent. Sakura was right, he was a tough coach.

"How was your training?" Itachi asked from the kitchen and Sasuke collapsed on a chair.

"I hurt."

"I take it your riding companion was rough today." Itachi said as he cut up some slices of tomato for the salad. Sasuke murmured something onto the tabletop that his brother didn't catch. "I don't speak murmur Sasuke."

The younger Uchiha turned his head to the side and answered, "I said, not companion."

"Then what is he today; coach?" He chuckled to himself at that thought; Coach Naruto. No, he couldn't see it.

"No, I'm thinking of something else."

_'I'm thinking friend.'_


	11. The Belmont Stakes

_Thirty years._

_It has been thirty years since someone has defied the odds and won this last race; the last race of the Triple Crown. The Triple Crown has only seen eleven horses' beat the odds stacked against them and come out on top. It's a grueling feat; to win all three of the Triple Crown races in the span of a month, but it has been done before. However, the last time this has happened was in 1978 with the colt, Affirmed. Many have been close to victory. Winning both the Derby and the Preakness, but falling short at the last race; proving how tough this Crown is to acquire._

_This is the last race, the final jewel in the Triple Crown. It is the longest leg of them all, running at a distance of 1 and ½ miles or 12 furlongs. It has been called "The Test of Champions" due to its long length and its leg in the Crown. However, anticipation arises if a horse has won both the Derby and the Preakness, and everyone hopes for the next Triple Crown winner. It will be a tough race, were positioning and timing can determine the outcome and a single mistake can be costly._

_This is the final race; the Belmont Stakes._  
\---------

"The horses arrived here early yesterday, as we wait for Saturday to draw near. Post positions have been drawn already and the favorite; Kyuubi has drawn the number six slot. Remember that this colt has won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, and if he wins this race; he'll be crowned the Triple Crown winner." A woman with brown hair stated to the camera in front of her, "We haven't had a winner in thirty years and everyone waits for Saturday as this colt and his young jockey try to break this run."

Naruto scowled inside Kyuubi's stall. He hated the media. They were just going to stand there until he came out or they had a glimpse of either him or the chestnut colt. He didn't want that to happen, if he showed up once, they would expect more, and all he wanted to do was sleep.

"The stables behind us hold the Belmont runners and we also know that Tobi, ridden by Sasuke Uchiha will be racing again against Kyuubi. It has been questioned if we will have the same rivalry between these two horses like we once did with Affirmed and Alydar. If you recall the year that these two battled out during the three races of the Triple Crown, with Affirmed finishing first and Alydar always finishing right behind him. We are hoping to get a chance to speak with both of these jockeys but we have yet to see them."

Inside the stables, Gaara restrained Naruto from attacking the woman with a rake.

\------

Sasuke liked New York. It was fast paced in some parts but that was only one side to it. He knew New York had its quieter parts, including the area in Elmont, where the race was taking place. Sasuke felt much better about this race, knowing that he was on better terms with everyone. Well, everyone was pushing it, but the tension that seemed to fill the air when he and Naruto met was gone.

He was improving with the blonds training, his jumping seat had become much better and his hands were lighter on the bridle as well. He was nervous for the dressage training since he had only done it once, and he was never patient enough to learn the moves. But Dark Angel knew everything and taught him when he was doing something wrong. Now the biggest hurdle to jump was training Sanis. The mare was coming along slowly, just as Naruto said she would, and he found it hard to keep his patience with her at times.

As he moved through the aisle way, he saw Naruto grab a rake next to Kyuubi's stall and head for the exit. A second later Gaara tackled him to the wall.

"Just let me hit her once, please?"

"No." he answered, "We don't need you kicked out of the track. Security will be here soon and escort her away." He glanced up and leaned in closer, "Besides, your 'boyfriend' is here."

Naruto's eyes widened at Gaara's teasing before he noticed Sasuke standing in the aisle with an amused smile on his face. A blush crept up on his face at the remark, "Do-don't say things like that, you promised!"

"I promised I wouldn't tell others, but I can tell you again." The red head let go of Naruto and took the rake away. "I'm going to go check on some things, Uchiha, make sure he doesn't murder the woman out there."

"Okay." He answered hesitantly and moved to sit next to Naruto. "What's going on with you?"

"I hate the media. They blow things out of proportion and hang around like little bugs, and she won't stop talking. Sasuke make her stop." He buried his face into Sasuke's shirt before he realized what he did. He pushed back quickly but felt an arm around his shoulder and he found himself being pulled back. Blue eyes glanced up curiously, meeting black ones.

"If it helps block out her voice." He answered Naruto's questioning eyes.

Naruto nodded and pressed his head against Sasuke's chest, listening to his heartbeat. He felt his own heart speed up; Sasuke would never know how much he liked this and just wanted to stay like this.

Sasuke felt Naruto's heart sped up and he held him tighter, _'He must really be nervous this time.'_ He thought, enjoying the warmth that was being spread through his body and he leaned his head back against the stall wall, simply enjoying the feeling of Naruto curled up next to him.

And this is how Ino and Sakura found them.

For a second the two girls stared at the jockeys, before bringing out a phone and taking a quick picture, knowing this would be the only time they could get a picture of the two together in public if they had anything to say about the matter. After staring at the two for another moment, Ino softly cleared her throat, effectively drawing their attention.

Naruto jumped and pushed away from Sasuke, a light pink tint stained his checks and Sasuke just glared at them, but they could see the faintest of blushes underneath his pale skin.

"Naruto, Iruka is looking for you." Sakura said, "He wants you to help him with the feed."

The blond nodded and stood up, "Thanks Sakura."

As the jockey took towards the exit, Sasuke glanced up at them. "Is Iruka outside, by any chance?"

Sakura looked confused, "Yeah. The feed is in the truck we rented, why?"

Outside, the woman's voice could be heard over the silence, and Sakura paled, "The media is still out there?"

As if to answer her question, there was a shout and someone called out Naruto's name. The pink haired groom groaned, "Great, now I have to go save him before he beats up another person." She ran out towards the exit and quickly located Naruto backed against the wall, trying to focus on the all the bright lights and questions shouted his way. After she left, Ino looked down at Sasuke, who was glancing in the direction of where Sakura had left.

"You should go help him." She said softly.

"Why?"

She giggled, "Because your glare would scare all those reporters away in a second." She sobered up before speaking again, "Besides, didn't you say he was your friend a week back? That's what friends do; they help each other and watch their backs for them, and also, you know you care for him."

 _'Well, we've been friends for a long time, and it only seems fair that we watch each others back. I would do the same thing for them.'_ Naruto's voice echoed inside his mind.

Sasuke grunted and stood up, "Guess I should go rescue him, you know neither him nor Sakura can do it by themselves."

He casually walked outside to the large group of reporters and pushed his way through, until he found himself inside the circle they made around Naruto and Sakura. Questions started to fire at him and a microphone was shoved under his nose, "Sasuke, do you think you can trump Naruto and Kyuubi this race and take the Crown from him?"

"What kind of que- umph" Naruto started to say only to be stopped by Sasuke's hand covering his mouth.

"I believe that y'all are trespassing, and I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Now." He glared at them, and some shrunk back in fear, but the more persistent ones tried again as they turned their attention to the blond again.

"Naruto, do you consider Sasuke a rival or a friend, our sources say that your farms are next to each other. Do you train together?" A reporter questioned, pushing the tape recorder closer.

Sasuke pulled Naruto closer to him, the blond head fitting under his chin, and he unconsciously pressed his hand harder against his mouth.

He was saved from answering the question as another voice rang out over the noise, "If I'm correct, he asked you to leave." The heads swiveled in the direction the voice and Ino stood next to Gaara, while behind them, some security officers glared at them. The reporters gulped and quickly disappeared from the area, leaving the jockeys and grooms alone.

"Well, that went rather well." Sakura said and headed in the direction of Gaara and Ino.

Naruto squirmed against Sasuke, trying to get free, but it seemed that the Uchiha was lost in his own world and not letting go. He let out a sigh and did the only thing that came to his mind.

Sasuke yelped and pulled his hand away quickly as something wet touched it. He looked at his hand, before glancing back at Naruto, "Did you just lick me?"

"You wouldn't let go!" Naruto cried, but then started to laugh at Sasuke's face. "I wish you could see your face Sasuke." He continued to smirk but then stopped when he realized that the other jockey wasn't laughing or smiling, "Sasuke, are you really that mad? Look, I'm sorry."

Finally, Sasuke spoke up, "You owe me."

"What? I'm already giving you eventing lessons, what more do you want?

Sasuke thought for a second, "How about you come over to my house this time." Everyone stopped for a second, staring at the Uchiha, all wondering the same thing, "It's annoying to try and get Sanis to cross that stream everyday."

The group of betters rolled their eyes and headed back to the barn to plan, while Naruto agreed to Sasuke's demand. After he left to catch up with them, Sasuke looked at his hand, _'When did I get so protective of him?'_

\-------

The TV was playing the quiet hotel room, and when the picture of a blonde-haired haired jockey flashed on screen, a finger pointed towards it, "This is the one I want you to watch."

"How would you like it done?"

The person shrugged and leaned his head against the chair, "That's up to you. Just make sure that it looks like an accident, I don't want to have to start everything over, again. Make sure that the Uchiha jockey and horse aren't injured; we don't want his older brother breathing down our necks."

"Anything else?"

There was a moment of silence, "Make sure it's close to the start and not the finish; if he gets out too far, we'll never catch him. Now go get ready, we only have a few days before we race."

"Of course, Orochimaru."

\--------

It was early Friday morning when Gaara felt something pounce on him. He turned around and saw Naruto's smiling face, "This better be good."

"I have good news. Someone has requested you to ride for them."

"Who?"

Naruto smirked, "Well, it seems Kiba was sick this morning and Itachi thinks it is too late to find another jockey, and he asked if you were free. And I said yes. You're going to ride a colt in a mile long turf run; I think you'll like it."

"Since when did you choose my races?"

The jockey thought about the question for a second then answered, "Just now. Don't worry, Iruka said it was okay, and this is a great chance to show that you can ride other horses besides our own."

Gaara snorted, but he knew that Naruto was correct, and he was glad that someone had requested him. Especially sense the stable was the Uchiha one, it would allow him to branch out more and put his past behind him. Not that he had anything to do with that farm's business; he was just a handler and never even met the owner, and from what he heard, they never caught the owner either. A month or two after the farm had been shut down, he ran into Naruto again.

It was the blond that dragged him to Eclipse, saying that he needed help with the horses since the farm didn't have many handlers. He had nowhere else to go and it seemed that neither Iruka nor Naruto cared that he worked at a 'bad' barn. Naruto seemed to know that he wasn't like that and as he told Iruka, "The horses like him, and horses are good when it comes to telling whether or not we're fit to work with him." He never questioned his logic, it was too far out there for him, but he came to learn that he was right.

Horses could read humans.

"Fine, I'll ride for them." He said making Naruto smile even more.

"Great, I'll go tell them. You don't race till later tonight, and I'm sure Itachi will tell you what you need to do."

Gaara nodded and the blond ran off to go find the Uchiha. He found Sasuke grooming Tobi and asked him where his brother was; only slightly annoyed to find that Itachi was 'out' at the moment. Instead, he settled down on a tack trunk and watched Sasuke groom the dark chestnut.

"Naruto, can I ask you something about tomorrow?"

"I guess."

Sasuke glanced at him before occupying himself with a knot in the colt's mane, "Are you nervous at all about this race?"

The blond glanced down at the ground and studied his boots. He had wondered when someone was going to ask him that question, and he had hoped it was someone else. He wanted to rant about how nervous he was. It was true; for the first time since he started competing, he was anxious. Moreover, the bad part was that he wasn't sure why he was so nervous. He had pressure placed on him before hundreds of time when he was eventing and had never been this edgy.

"A little." He answered softly.

"Why?"

He laughed a little, "I'm not sure. Maybe because this time everyone is watching and wanting for something to happen. I want this so badly for the farm, it would help us be recognized and bring in more business. I know everyone says they don't care what happens, but I know that somewhere, they want it too. And I want it for Kyuubi, everyone said he wouldn't make it this far, and look at him now."

Sasuke chuckled, "Well, I defiantly feel sorry for you, having all that on your shoulders."

Naruto grinned up at him, "Actually, you're helping me Sasuke.

"How so?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"You're acting calm and collected. Normally whenever I'm nervous I would just sit with Kyuubi or another horse and they calm me down. I didn't know it worked with humans."

Black eyes rolled, "I don't know if I understand, but you can stay with us while Gaara races tonight if it helps."

"Really?"

"It's what friends do."

\-------

Saturday afternoon, ten horses were paraded out to the field, while the crowd screamed and cheered. The stands were packed, hoping to watch history be made for the first time in decades. The horses could feel the excitement in the air as the pranced on the dirt track and their handlers quickly calmed them down.

In the jockey's room, Naruto felt a hand drop down on his head. He opened his eyes and noticed Sasuke standing in front of him. "Take in a deep breath." He instructed, "Now let it out slowly."

Naruto did as he was told and smiled when he felt his heart calm down. Sasuke returned the smile and handed him his helmet, "You'll be fine, and you're going to do it."

The blonde-haired jockey eyed him, "Your not going to hold back on me are you? I want a race like last time; nothing held back, you hear me?"

"Of course," he held out his hand, "May the best horse, and jockey win."

A tan hand grabbed the pale one and they shook, "Wouldn't want it any other way."

\--------

Sasuke stared calmly at the horses in front of him who reached out his nose towards his chest. He raised his hand and ran it over his forehead while the colt nickered in content. On the left side of the horse, Ino was tightening the girth one more time, while Kakashi ran a hand over the saddle pad, smoothing it out. The silver haired trainer then turned to Sasuke and looked him over.

"Okay Sasuke, we both know that this is the longest distance Tobi has ever run. You're going to have to rate him and judge your timing perfectly; just like the Preakness."

"Got it." He said, then accepted the leg up from him.

On the ground, Itachi looked up at him, "You'll be fine Sasuke, just listen to him and he'll take you where you want to go."

The jockey nodded as they handed him off to the pony rider and they moved onto the track.

\-------

Naruto blew out a calming breath before moving closer to the chestnut colt, who pranced around playfully. He was excited and ready to run today. Naruto however, was feeling a sort of dread as the jockey in the stall next to him seemed to glare at him before turning to talk to the trainer. He calmed down again when he felt Kyuubi nuzzle his shoulder, playing with his orange and black silks.

"You know that no matter how you perform, I'll love you." He told the horse, looking into the dark eyes.

Jiraiya broke him out of his trance when he placed a hand on his shoulder, "Naruto, he knows what he has to do, and he'll run for you no matter what. He's ready for this, and so are you."

Beside him, the rest of the staff nodded and Naruto felt their reassurance in him. Gaara moved over and offered him a leg up, patting the colt's neck before they grabbed the lead lines to lead him out. The pony rider flashed him a smile as they handed him off and they headed out to the track.

\--------

The roar of the crowd was deafening, but Naruto blocked tuned it down until it seemed like only a muffled roar. He looked out of the large track one last time, eyes focusing on the single tree that stood in the middle of the park before his eyes scanned the crowd. All thoughts were pushed out of his mind as he focused back on Kyuubi and let him canter for a while, before the headed towards the gate.

Ten horses were loaded and the stadium level dropped down to an uneasy silence as everyone waited for the gates to open. In the starting area, horses shuffled for a second, before stilling, anticipating the opening of the gates. And what seemed like forever in their minds, was only a second or two.

And the gates opened.

The large stretch lay out in front of them as the horses pushed out of the gates, engulfed by the noise of the crowd, but none of the jockeys heard it. They quickly made their moves as they thundered down the straight, holding their spots, refusing to give them up.

Sasuke had his eyes focused on the horses in front of him and to the right as he grabbed a spot by the rail. He kept Tobi checked, making sure that he didn't push the horse too fast for the first part of the race. His heart had calmed down significantly once they entered the gates and his mind was cleared, knowing what he needed to do.

Near the back of the pack, Naruto held Kyuubi back, glad that the colt was listening to him. He seemed to know that this was a longer race and what was needed of him. The jockey kept him close to the outside of the pack where it would be easier to make a move as they moved out of the final turn. They made their way into the first turn, and the horses changed leads. Naruto peaked up through Kyuubi's ears and continued to hold his position, knowing it was too early to move yet.

To his left, a dark bay moved up quickly, his jockey urging him closer. The jockey glanced up, noticing that the other was too busy to notice, and pushed the horse through.

It happened so fast, that at first, he wasn't sure what hit them. One moment they were moving along the turn just fine, the next; Kyuubi was falling. He was too busy trying to straighten the colt back up that he never saw the jockey with purple and white silks flash by him. The colt stumbled as he tried to get his feet back under him, and in a stride and a half, he was back up. Naruto felt a relieved smile cross his face as he encouraged Kyuubi and they sped back up.

_It hurts so badly._

_My leg throbs with every step I take and pain shoots up my limb every time I strike the ground, but I don't want to stop. I know this is important to my human and I want him to be happy, and I will do anything for him. Because he's the one that stayed with me when I was a young colt, when everyone stated that I was too weak, the one that helped me come out on top, and the one that I will do anything for._

_Anything._

_Even if it means running on this pain that I feel now._

Naruto felt it.

He felt the difference in his stride, and quickly realized that something was wrong. He pulled back on the reins but the chestnut colt refused to slow down, fighting against the bit. Naruto leaned against his neck, tears in his eyes, "Please Kyuubi, stop. You don't have to do this for me."

There was a moments hesitation in which Naruto pulled back on the reins more, pulling Kyuubi to a stop. He quickly jumped off, placing a trembling hand on his shoulder, feeling the horse shake under his touch. Ears flickered back and forth as he talked softly to him, pulling the saddle off his back in an attempt to make him more comfortable. Naruto glanced to his front legs where he could see Kyuubi holding his left leg off the ground.

He vaguely remembered Iruka and Gaara running to him on the track as he held Kyuubi's head against his chest, shoulders shaking, and unshed tears in his eyes, telling them to call for the vet.

\--------

The group of horses moved around the track, coming out of the first turn and heading into the backstretch. Tobi was still holding well under his grip and once they passed halfway down the backstretch, he allowed a little bit of rein to slip through his hands. The dark chestnut responded, by picking up enough speed and flying into the final turn. The two leaders were fighting hard to keep him back, but leading the entire way had taken its toll.

Tobi moved past them as they worked around the turn, asking for more rein. Sasuke slipped just a bit more, waiting to let him out when they hit the homestretch. He glanced under his arm to make sure no one else was coming up as the came out of the large arch, then let Tobi have his head. The colt shot forward, taking the new slack with great enthusiasm, shifting into a different gear. Behind them, they could hear the hooves of another closer coming in to take their lead, but the horse would have none of it.

He found another gear and began to stretch out as the wire drew closer. The horse that was behind them kept pace, but was nowhere close enough to close the gap that Tobi had on them, and with another surge of power, pushed under the wire; two lengths ahead of the second place horse.

Sasuke felt a smile cross his face, ignoring the dirt that was covering his face. He glanced back, expecting the second place horse to be Naruto, but was surprised to see it was another colt. A rider came out to catch them and escort him back to the winners circle, and he searched the horses as they moved by but did not see the orange and black silks. His brother met him on the track, while the reporters tried to get closer for a better shot.

"Congratulations Sasuke!" Ino said, taking hold of the reins and leading him away from the turn where another large group was gathering, blocking the sight of the white equine trailer. Everyone crowded around, shouting out words of encouragement.

The jockey couldn't help but smile, then noticed the looks in their eyes as glanced over them. He knew something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" he asked dismounting, trying to look over everyone.

Itachi grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around so their eyes met. "Sasuke look at me."

Sasuke didn't like that tone, he knew something happened. He looked back at the colt that was walking fine and he knew that Tobi came out of the race. A group of people ran by them and he faintly caught two words as they brushed by them, "Favorite…down…"

He turned to follow their movement, but his brother grabbed his chin, forcing his face back to the other side of the track. "Don't look back there." He commanded.

"Itachi, what's wrong?" he choked out.

"There was an accident Sasuke."

\-------

Naruto held onto Kyuubi's head, scared to let go. The colt was the only thing keeping him from breaking apart. He refused to cry; the chestnut needed someone strong to lean on, and he was going to help him pull through. His eyes glanced up as a hand was placed on his shoulder and he saw Tsunade's face, pain etched onto her face and in her eyes.

She hated this part of the job, seeing the owners and trainers faces. It was worse when you knew them personally and even more so that the jockey was so close to the horse.

"Naruto." She started.

His head wheeled around, blue eyes shinning with unshed tears, "Don't tell me you can't save him. Please Tsunade, I can't let him go. You have to help him." A single tear ran down his face.

Tsunade bit her lip to stop the tears that threatened to overcome her, "It, it's okay Naruto, I'm going to help him, I promise." She sucked in a deep breath and let it out shakily, "Ju-just keep him like that until the van gets here."

On either side of Kyuubi, Gaara and Iruka were helping to support the colt, making sure that he could keep the pressure off his injured leg. Sakura was helping Hinata with Tsunade's equipment as they prepared to wrap the uninjured legs for travel, while Jiraiya was arguing with an official. They could hear the roar of the crowd as someone finally finished, and they faintly heard the announcer calling out Sasuke and Tobi's name.

It hardly seemed like two minutes had passed since the accident, and the announcement signaling the end of the race came as a shock to Naruto. The two minutes it took to finish the race felt like hours to him as they waited for the van. He continued to talk to Kyuubi, hoping to keep both their minds occupied.

"I'm sorry Kyuubi; I should have stopped you when you went down. This is all my fault. I'm so sorry." He kept apologizing and whispering comforting words to him, his voice calming the terrified horse down.

Everyone around the horse was silent as they listened to Naruto talk, somehow finding it calming on their own nerves. Sakura had tears rolling down her face as she handed Hinata another wrap for his back legs, and the vet assistant was biting her lips trying to hold back the tears. Iruka stared out over the colt's back, trying to find something to focus on while Gaara's eyes flashed angrily.

"That bastard." He murmured as the winner was announced.

Sakura and Hinata looked up in surprise. They watched as his eyes followed the chestnut's movements before he closed them, hissing in anger.

"What's wrong Gaara?"

Gaara looked at Sakura, "Sasuke did this."

"What?"

He looked away, "When we at the Preakness, he bribed Naruto to throw the race, but Naruto refused. When I went to talk to him, I heard him talking to an owner who offered to help him. He turned it down saying he wanted to beat Naruto himself. Looks like he went back for help."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The jockey that bumped him was wearing the owner's silks. This was done on purpose."

Sakura's eyes narrowed and she glanced at Naruto, "Does he know?"

The jockey nodded, "No, and don't tell him yet. He doesn't need to know right now."

"Tell me what?" Naruto asked from Kyuubi's head. His blue eyes locked on theirs, "If you know something about this that I don't." The threat was left hanging in the air and they both knew how protective he was of his horse.

"Naruto," Sakura started slowly, "This wasn't an accident."

Blue eyes narrowed, "Who. Tell me who so I can go kill them."

"We know the jockey that bumped you." Sakura stated slowly, "But there's a slight problem. It seems that the jockey that bumped you, works for someone, someone who knows Sasuke. Gaara heard them talking at the Preakness about you. Sasuke turned the offer down, saying he wanted to beat you himself, but we think he might have gone back."

"So you're saying this is Sasuke's fault."

They both looked at each other, "Well, we're not sure." Gaara started to say, but stopped as Naruto turned his head away.

"I knew it was too good to be true." He hissed, tears flowing freely. He gripped Kyuubi's nose tighter not wanting to leave the colt, no matter how badly he wanted to hunt Sasuke down.

The sound of the equine van broke the silence as Tsunade came up to them. "We have a place to go." She looked at the blond, "Naruto, I promise to do everything for him. Now I need you to help him into the van."

"I'm staying with him." He stated.

The busty vet nodded, "I know you are."

Naruto gripped Kyuubi's reins and slowly coaxed him forward while one both sides and behind him, the males helped support him. The pace was slow; they had to stop a few time to let the colt rest, and Naruto was there the whole time, whispering words of encouragement to him before they started to move again. They finally had him loaded and locked the doors while the driver started up the truck. As they pulled away from the track, Naruto glared out over the track where a crowd was surrounding the winner and his eyes narrowed.

 _'I thought you changed.'_ He turned away from the small window, _'But I guess I was wrong.'_

\-------

Orochimaru stared as the white van pulled away, a small smirk crossing his face. His jockey had pulled off the bump perfectly and he didn't think many people noticed and by the time they did, he would be out of the country again.

 _'That's what you get Naruto, when you mess with my farm.'_ He thought, turning away from the window and heading out of the park.

\-------

Sasuke's eyes went wide at Itachi's words. He broke free of his brother's grip and glanced in the direction where a white van was pulling away from the track. He knew what that van was for and he felt his stomach churn as he looked back at his brother.

"Itachi, where's Naruto? Who's in that van?" Somewhere in his mind, he knew the answer, but he wanted, no, needed Itachi to tell him otherwise.

The group fell silent, as he demanded again to know where the other jockey was.

"Someone was bumped." Itachi finally answered

"Who." He demanded, gripping his brother's arm tightly, "Tell me now."

Sasuke felt the dread of his brother's next words, "Naruto and Kyuubi."

And Sasuke felt his world fall apart.


	12. Aftershock

The trophy felt heavy in his hands, and his eyes stared blankly at the crowd in front of him. He couldn't believe the irony; here he was, finally in the winners circle at a prestigious race, and he could care less. All he wanted to do was leave and see how the blonde-haired jockey was doing. He couldn't begin to imagine the pain that Naruto was going through right now, but he was stuck here, not being able to do anything. The rest of the farm stood on either side of him and he knew that they just wanted to get to the hospital as well.

No one had mentioned anything else to him about the accident and he wanted information. All Itachi had said was there was an accident before they were ushered into the winners circle and forced to act like his friend wasn't just carried away in the ambulance. For all he knew, Naruto could have been trampled by the pack and injured and here he was, holding the trophy like an idiot while he tried not to punch the reporters in the face. Now he knew why Naruto hated them.

After being blinded by the flashes of hundreds of cameras, Itachi finally pushed his way through the crowd, successfully signaling that the show was over. He looked over at Ino and Shikamaru, "Take care of Tobi and make sure he's fine, Sasuke and I will go see how the Eclipse farm is handling."

The group nodded and moved to the stable, while the two Uchiha brothers headed towards their car. Itachi was unusually silent as he turned the car on and they pulled out of the parking lot. Sasuke wondered what was going through his brother's mind as they merged onto the highway, but decided not to push that question. Instead, he asked the one question that he had been avoiding since he found out Kyuubi fell.

"Was Naruto injured when Kyuubi fell?"

"No. Kyuubi stumbled and Naruto pulled him up, he seemed fine."

Sasuke let out a sigh of relief he didn't realize he had been holding and focused on the road ahead of him. They didn't know what caused the horse to stumble, but he had a bad feeling that it wasn't an accident.

A few moments later, they pulled up to the Equine Hospital that was holding the chestnut colt. Sasuke felt his heart pick up speed as they walked closer, noticing Gaara and Sakura standing near the front of the entrance in hopes of keeping the media away. The two Eclipse workers exchanged glances as they kept walking and the red head stepped forward.

"I'm sorry Sasuke, but I don't think he wants to see you right now."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, "And why not?"

A snort sounded from Gaara's throat, "As if you don't know. His fall wasn't accidental."

"What do you mean?"

"Gaara," A soft voice drew their attention to the side of the stable, and they noticed Iruka standing in the shadows, "I think the best thing to do is let them figure out what happened. For all we know, it wasn't him."

The Eclipse jockey growled but moved to the side, "He's not going to like this. You know how he gets, especially when it involves his horse." He turned back to Sasuke and Itachi, "I'll let you in, but you better hope he's in a mood to listen."

Sasuke's mind was racing as the opened the door, letting bright light flood into the darkening dusk. He wasn't sure why everyone seemed mad at him, and he was sure it had nothing to do with his recent win. After he walked in, he could see Naruto pacing back and forth the spacious aisle way, blue eyes slightly red from crying and tear marks stained his whiskered cheeks.

"Naruto."

The hospital had been prepped for their arrival, and the team was waiting for them when they arrived. Vets hurried over to help unload the hurt colt, letting Naruto lead him to the operating area. He talked to Kyuubi the entire trip, keeping him calm, but the horse was already slightly drugged to help draw the pain away from leg. After he went under, Tsunade kicked him out of the operating room, saying she couldn't work if he was in there.

So now, he was reduced to waiting.

Gaara and Sakura stood with him as he watched the minute hand slowly tick away, while in his mind he planned ways to torture Sasuke. As much as he didn't want to believe Gaara, some small part of him, (the part that was ruled by emotion and not logic) was fitting pieces together, convincing him that the red head was correct. And as much as he denied it, everything seemed to fit in the jumbled up jigsaw picture. And the hurt cut almost as deep as Kyuubi's injury and he just wanted to curl up somewhere.

Iruka though, wasn't fully convinced that he should go out 'Sasuke hunting' right away, claiming that he needed to hear his side of the story. However, in Naruto's mind, Sasuke lost that freedom when his colt had gotten hurt.

"Naruto, you're being irrational. I don't think Sasuke would want Kyuubi hurt." Iruka stated.

"Well I didn't think he would bribe me either, but he did that. What's stopping him from going back on his word now? People don't just change like that." Naruto said, snapping his fingers for emphasis.

Iruka's eyes hardened, "You asked me to take Gaara, despite what he happened in his past, telling me to not judge him for something he didn't do. You're contradicting yourself." Brown eyes softened, "We'll find out who caused this. Jiraiya is having the officials watch the tape as we speak."

The blond stared at the ground, refusing to make eye contact with the older man. Iruka let out a sigh at his behavior then turned to Gaara and Sakura, "Come on, we need to keep the media out from here, they'll be crawling all over the place. And if we're not careful, he'll attack them too."

He heard them walk towards the door and it shut, with a loud clanging that filled the quiet stable. After minutes of listening to the clock tick the seconds away, he jumped up and began to pace, muttering under his breath. He didn't care if he was being irrational at the moment, it fit his mood. In the back of his mind, he heard the voices outside and the door open, but he gave it no notice. Until he heard his name being called by the one person, he didn't want to see.

His head snapped up, angry blue eyes meeting black ones. He didn't see the concern or relief etched in them as he narrowed his eyes and hissed out, "Sasuke."

\-------

Sasuke was taken back by the anger in the blue eyes; anger that was directed at him.

"You have a lot of balls to show up here after what you pulled."

"I don't understand what you're talking about Naruto."

"Like hell you don't." Naruto yelled, "It was a great performance, very well done. Were the past three weeks just a way to distract me from your real plans? Getting close to me and making me think we were friends, only to betray me."

The words cut into Sasuke, and he fought the urge to take a step back. He tried to speak but the blond cut him off; he was just getting started on his rant.

"Did it bother you that much Sasuke that you couldn't win? That you had to go behind our backs and ask for 'help' from someone else, so you could win today. I thought you changed, and you finally saw racing as your brother and I do, but I guess I was wrong, again. So tell me, did you enjoy it when that jockey told you that we went down, did you like seeing us pull away in the van, knowing that Kyuubi was injured." His voice dropped down to a whisper, "Do you enjoy torturing me like this?"

Sasuke was at a loss for words. He was still trying to put everything together, trying his best to form a single word, but it seemed that his mouth wasn't working. His mind was still stunned as something inside him ached and he tried to push the feeling away.

"Get out of here." Naruto said softly, "I don't want to see you ever again."

"Naruto," he started to say, but was cut off.

"I said get out!" the blonde-haired jockey screamed at him, tears threatening to spill over his eyes once more.

Sasuke let out a huff. He didn't know what Naruto was talking about but he quickly decided he wasn't going to take it anymore; after all, he was an Uchiha. "No."

Naruto's head wheeled around and cerulean eyes flashed, promising death in them, "What?"

"I said no. I'm not leaving until we figure out what's wrong and we see eye to eye. So sit."

Wrong words.

Naruto threw himself at Sasuke, tackling him to the ground and grabbing hold of his collar. He threw a punch at Sasuke's head but Sasuke moved his head out of the way, making Naruto hit the ground. Sasuke growled and quickly wrapped his legs around Naruto's waist, flipping them over. He pinned the younger jockey's hands over his head, and grabbed his face so they could look at each other.

"I'll make you listen, even if I have to tie you down. Now tell me why you're so mad at me, I didn't do anything."

Azure eyes flashed in annoyance as he struggled to get free, while everyone else just stood by. Gaara was ready to help Naruto if needed, but Iruka had placed a hand on his shoulder, holding him back, while Sakura watched the two struggle. Itachi just watched with amusement, curious to see what was going on, but knowing he would step in if things got out of control.

However, they all flinched when Naruto started to laugh. It wasn't the ha ha laugh, no, it was more the creepy, 'I'm going to kill you' laugh.

"You want to know, Sasuke." He hissed, drawing out the last few letters, "What happened to that conversation a few weeks back where someone offered you help. Help with the 'offer' you gave me. Do you remember him?"

The newfound anger helped Naruto as he finally freed his leg and kicked Sasuke off him. "I know you said you refused, but then why was it his jockey that bumped me and took us down."

Sasuke let out a grunt as the foot connected with his stomach before Naruto pushed him up against the wall, slamming his back against the wood. "You know the worst part," he said, voice dropping down to a whisper so only Sasuke could hear as he brought his head closer to the pale jockey, "Was that I thought you were my friend, and I trusted you, even after that first incident. I won't make that same mistake again."

"Naruto, I told him, and Gaara heard me, I didn't want his help." Sasuke snarled back.

"Then why did he go after me?"

"I. Don't. Know." Sasuke answered, "But I swear to you I had nothing to do with your colt falling. I would never want that for you, I know how much he means to you." He could see something flicker in the angry eyes, "I still consider you my friend, and I'll help you find him."

Naruto ground his teeth together as his emotions raged against each other. He wanted to believe Sasuke when he said that he had nothing to do with Kyuubi's fall, he wanted to believe it so badly that it hurt, but all he could see was Kyuubi's pain filled eyes in his mind. And despite his common sense screaming at him that he was wrong and needed to stop, he pulled his hand back, and whispered so softly that Sasuke almost didn't catch it, "Why do you do this to me and make feel this way?"

Ebony eyes went wide and Naruto clenched his hand tighter, ready to punch the young Uchiha when someone grabbed his fist and whipped him around. Naruto caught sight of dark blue eyes before he felt a stinging sensation across his face and a voice echoed in his ears, "I didn't raise you to act like this, Naruto."

His eyes went wide and he quickly turned his face away from the older man, as Gaara's voice filter back in his brain. _'He said he would be there on Saturday, he has business in town that week.'_

Silence fell through the stable area; the only noise coming from the fluorescent lights flickering above them. Everyone glanced from Naruto to the older male who was still grasping his wrist, then back to Naruto. Naruto's eyes narrowed dangerously as if he was fighting the urge to hit him back and he finally broke the silence, "What do you want, father?"

"I came to see how you were after they pulled your horse pulled out of the race, but I never expected this." Minato answered harshly.

"We're just fine." Naruto snapped, pulling his arm out of his father's tight grip, "Now why don't you go back to your stupid business and not caring about my racing. You're good at that."

Sasuke blinked a couple times, the shock finally wearing away. Now he found himself staring at an older clone of Naruto, one that he called father. They were currently arguing over his behavior from just a few minutes ago. He heard the angry words and found himself being pulled back to the times that he argued with his own father. The times when they fought over simply little things that didn't matter, but at the time, seemed so important.

He turned his head, not wanting to listen to their argument and was instead met with something much worse. His brother.

"Sasuke, what is this offer they keep talking about."

The young Uchiha wished for nothing more than for the floor to open up and swallow him.

"Sasuke." The voice was dangerous when he didn't answer, "What did you do."

He let out a soft sigh and looked up to meet his brothers eyes, "When we at the Preakness, I wasn't thinking and asked Naruto to throw the race. It seemed the conversation was overheard and I was offered help, but I turned it down." Itachi's eyes narrowed at him and he knew he let his brother down, but despite the heavy feeling in his chest, he plowed on, "That's why I was asking you about your racing. Naruto was the one who talked some sense into me." There was a moment's hesitation, but he didn't break the eye contact, "I'm sorry Itachi."

His brother was silent for a while before Itachi spoke up again, "Did you ask him to do this?"

Sasuke shook his head, "No. I told him right away I didn't want his help. That's why I'm not sure why Orochimaru had his jockey chase Naruto down."

Four heads spun in the direction of the two Uchiha's and Naruto stalked closer. "What did you just say?"

Sasuke looked at Naruto with confusion in his eyes. Sasuke wasn't sure what Naruto was looking for until the other jockey hissed, "What was that man's name."

When he repeated the name, the reaction was not what he expected. Gaara hissed angrily and kicked the wall while Naruto's eyes went wide, his face paling as he realized there was a missing piece to this whole puzzle that he thought was complete. His mind raced as the pieces started to rearrange themselves into an entirely new picture and the knowledge that he almost did something horribly wrong came crashing down on him.

"Or- Orochimaru," he stammered before his eyes blazed, "Damn that sick bastard to hell, he is always trying to beat me down."

Behind him, Gaara came up, "Naruto, we need to act now before he tries to get out of the country, again."

Naruto nodded and pulled out his phone, dialing Jiraiya's number. He moved away from the group and spoke into the phone when the trainer picked up, "Jiraiya we have a snake to hunt. Yes again. I don't know how you're going to pull it off, but you're good at doing things like this. I don't know how he is yet, we'll keep you updated."

"So what now?"

The jockey turned his head to the older blond male, "We hunt him down, making sure he doesn't escape this time."

"Not that Naruto, I'm talking about what you're going to do now that Kyuubi has been injured. We know he can't race anymore."

A thick tension filled the room. Everyone knew that, but no one wanted to mention it to the emotional jockey at the moment. They valued their lives.

"What horrible timing." Sakura muttered and Sasuke placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder to keep him in place.

"Well, when he pulls through, he can stand at stud. We were planning on retiring him after this race anyway." Naruto said coldly.

"And if he doesn't?"

Blue eyes flashed, "Do you always have to look at the negative side of everything? I know you call it 'good business' to look at both sides of everything, but there's a time and place for everything. This is not the time or place."

They glared at each other as the uneasy tension continued to rise until Itachi stepped forward, placed a hand on their chests and pushed them away from each other. Once they were separated, he turned to the older male, "Who are you?"

Sasuke blinked at the random question his brother asked, and wondered why he even asked the question; the resemblance was a dead give away. In addition, Naruto had even called him dad. He supposed even geniuses had their moments.

The older blonde-haired person seemed to be thinking along the same lines and voiced his opinion. "Who do you think I am?"

"Well, we can see the family resemblance, but we can't go around calling you 'Naruto's father' all the time, can we?"

Naruto snorted with laughter before his dad turned around to glare at him. He turned back around towards Itachi and met his eyes, "I'm Minato Uzumaki and I know who you are, Itachi Uchiha. You used to race before you stopped and took over your father's farm, and now your younger brother races."

"Does this bother you?"

"No. Because unlike my son, you have something to fall back on if something happens to your farm."

Itachi nodded, "You are no doubt talking about our family company that my father plays with, now that he has us to run the farm. Are you suggesting that you dislike your son racing and would prefer him in a business?"

"Not so much a business, but something that has job security. If an equine virus sweeps through the state and hits the farm, what will he do? Today has already shown me that he should stop racing, it easily could have been him underneath those horses if Kyuubi stumbled more."

"Is this what you suggest for Naruto? For him to stop racing and do something else?"

"Yes, something that will secure him for his future."

Naruto groaned and placed his foot on his father's back then gave a strong push, leaving a dusty footprint on the clean shirt, "You do this every time. Stop it. Just go back, play with your job, and leave my life alone. You have no idea what I want and you've been harassing me ever since I started to race."

"I'm just concerned about you."

"You have a funny way of showing it." Sasuke stated, making Naruto fall silent. "And I know what it's like, to have a father who's displeased with the path you chose. Unlike me however, who bent to my fathers will, Naruto went after what he loved, and he's happy with it. I like racing, but it's not what I wanted to do and every time I was racing, I kept thinking about how much I wanted to the things I liked. But I never had the courage to chase my dreams, until now."

Sasuke crossed his arms across his chest and continued to glare at the older Uzumaki, "Shouldn't you be glad that your son is doing something that he likes, and is good at it as well? People spend their entire lives trying to accomplish this happiness and very few find it. And what would you know of the sport, from what it sounds like, you've never even watched him race with the exception of today."

"Sasuke." Naruto said quietly and Sasuke turned to look at him. Naruto shook his head, telling Sasuke not to press after the issue.

Itachi sighed and placed his hand on Minato's shoulder. "I think your son and my brother are correct. We should talk about this elsewhere; we are all under a lot of stress right now. If you'll come with me, we can go back to my hotel room and talk some business."

Minato nodded and sent one last look to his son, but Naruto had his back facing him. Itachi waved Sasuke over, "Stay with him until they have information on Kyuubi, and then call me with the news. I'll meet you back at hotel."

"But,"

"Sasuke, I'm sure Naruto will appreciate it." Itachi said softly

The comment silenced Sasuke and he let Itachi leave with Naruto's father. Silence fell over the barn after the two left before Iruka stood up. "We need to get back to our rooms and start making some calls. Gaara you'll need to call your siblings and see if they can come back a little early so they can look after the horses. Sakura, I'll need you to start packing while I make some flight changes."

Iruka came over to Naruto and brought his head up, "Stay here until you get some news. We'll be back once we've sorted everything out." He hesitated before leaning in closer, "And be nice to the Uchiha. He didn't do anything, you know that now, and he took everything calmly, despite what was thrown at him."

Naruto glanced at the dirt as Iruka let his head fall again. The closing door was loud as the two males were left in the stable alone. Naruto kicked at the ground before moving over to sit on the bench. He fought the urge to kill over and die at being left alone with Sasuke. He had come so close to punching the living daylights out of Sasuke and if his father hadn't stopped him, the real truth might not have come out, and Sasuke would have been badly hurt. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he had known that Sasuke hadn't done anything, but it was way back there, screaming to be heard.

Sasuke moved next to him, ignoring the tension that seized the blond. He placed a hand around his shoulder, pulling him close to his chest as he did earlier that week. "He'll be fine Naruto. Kyuubi is a tough horse and he'll make it through this."

"S'uke" he murmured, "I'm sorry." Naruto closed his eyes so Sasuke couldn't see the tears. He knew that Sasuke had to be mad at him and he didn't blame him. He had been so quick to blame him without even listening to his side.

The Uchiha ran a hand through his hair, "It's alright Naruto."

Naruto shook his head, dislodging the fingers, "No, no it's not okay. I accused you of something you didn't even do, all because of my mind jumped to conclusions. I attacked you and had every desire to hurt you. I'm supposed to be your friend, I was supposed to trust you, and I didn't." the blond gave a hollow laugh, "Some friend I am."

"Naruto, you forgave me after I bribed you, which was on purpose. Why shouldn't I forgive you for something that was an accident?"

Blue eyes glanced up from his shirt, "Because I'm supposed to trust you, you're my friend. And now you probably hate me."

Sasuke sighed and fought the urge to hit the blond upside the head, "Do you want me to hate you?"

"No!" The answer came quickly and the eyes widened as the older jockey chuckled.

"I don't hate you Naruto. You're my friend as well, and if I remember correctly, it was you who told me that friends also forgive and help each other."

Naruto blinked at him, "Really?"

Sasuke glanced away, a slight blush tinting his cheeks "Yes really. However, I think you owe me for all the trouble you put me through. And before you ask, I don't know yet, but I'll think of something, don't worry."

The blonde-haired jockey suppressed the shiver that ran through his body, and instead leaned into Sasuke's chest more. He could hear the soft beating of his heart again, and he found his eyes closing as it lulled him to sleep. Sasuke sighed and pushed Naruto's head down onto his lap, causing Naruto to blink owlishly up at him. "You're tired, you need to rest some before you pass out." He said then covered Naruto's mouth as the blond started to object, "I'll let you know when Tsunade comes back out, promise."

Naruto hesitated as Sasuke removed his hand. A small blush dusted his checks as he nodded his head and within a few moments, his breathing had evened out and Sasuke sucked in a deep breath. He wasn't sure what it was about the other jockey that made him so protective. Never before had he become friends with another competitor, let alone offer help for them. But for Naruto, he was ready to hunt down Orochimaru and his jockey, and see that they felt the same pain Kyuubi and Naruto were feeling now.

A pale hand hesitantly lifted before settling on Naruto's head, where the fingers ran through the blond locks. Sasuke found that as he continued to play with Naruto's hair, it had a calming effect on his nerves as he once again looked at the clock. It had been at least two hours since the colt was taken away from the track and arrived for surgery. 

He was not sure how long the surgery should take or when they would receive any news but he was willing to do anything to keep Naruto's mind off the affair. In addition, he found that in distracting the blonde-haired jockey, he was distracting his own mind from the thoughts that plagued him.

He did not know how long they stayed in the position, but the sound of the door opening again jerked them both out of their own world. Naruto sat up quickly; almost smashing his head into Sasuke's nose as they quickly separated and looked in the direction of the noise. Tsunade glanced at the two of them sitting on the bench and raised an eyebrow, but did not question anything.

"Tsunade, is he okay?" Naruto asked, jumping off the bench. His face was drawn and pale as the vet looked over him, trying to decide how to answer the question.

"He made it out of the surgery okay." She said, "It wasn't something extremely serious or life threatening at that time, but you do understand that if he makes it through this, he'll never race again."

Naruto nodded and his face relaxed a little. Next to him though, Sasuke frowned, "You said if he makes it through this." He stated.

The vet winced, "He's still under the effects of the drugs right now and we'll be watching him for the next few days. However, depending on how he takes to his injury will determine if he lives over the next 48 hours."

"Meaning what?" Naruto asked softly.

"If he can't settle down when he wakes up, he'll harm himself more and we may have to put him to sleep." Tsunade answered and ran a hand over her face, "Kyuubi's smart Naruto, I'm sure he'll be fine, and you can stay with him every step of the way."

"I intend to."

Sasuke draped an arm over his shoulder and leaned over, "I'll be there for you too."

Naruto managed a small smile, but his thoughts were a million miles away as he thought about his red chestnut. _'I'm so sorry Kyuubi; I never wanted this to happen.'_


	13. The Path to Recovery

A warm breeze blew across the field, sending loose leaves dancing on the grass. Horses lifted their heads as a small figure moved along the black fences and stopped in front of an empty paddock. The person draped their arms across the top rails, dropped his head on the fence, and let out a sigh.

"Kyuubi."

It had been two weeks since the accident, and for the past week, he had been stuck at the farm. After a week of moping around the equine hospital and refusing to leave Kyuubi's side, Iruka had sent him back to Kentucky, saying he needed to focus on something else besides Kyuubi. Iruka had decided to stay in New York for some last minute business details and was keeping them updated on Kyuubi's status. For the past week, his days passed by slowly and he soon found himself lost in the daily chores as they helped to keep his mind busy.

Blue eyes glanced up over the empty area and he let out a sigh again. His friends constantly surrounded him and they watched him as he moved around the farm in a zombie like state for the first few days. The only time he perked up, was when Sasuke came over.

Sasuke left New York a few days after Kyuubi came out of surgery, and when Naruto was sent back home, it was Sasuke who was waiting for him. He held him in the car at the airport and let him cry, telling him that everything would be okay. It was a small gesture, but to Naruto, it meant a lot. Sasuke wanted to put the lessons on hold for a while, giving Naruto a chance to recover from leaving the colt.

Sakura had called it 'The Kyuubi Syndrome', stating that the colt was a drug to the blond and he was going to go through withdrawal symptoms. However, after a day or two of calling Iruka every five minutes, the brunette had had enough and refused to answer the phone, and it was then that Sasuke dragged Naruto off to train.

Naruto had thrown himself into the training then in an effort to forget and keep his mind busy. And even though Naruto benefited from it, Sasuke suffered the wrath of an overcritical teacher and woke up every morning with sore muscles.

A laugh sounded over the quiet fields as Naruto remembered the phone call from Itachi that day. The older Uchiha simply said that Sasuke could not move from the previous days training and needed to stay home that day. And, although he sounded as though he did not care, there was a hint of amusement in Itachi's voice when Naruto asked if he could come see Sasuke. After that day though, the workouts were less intense.

Arms appeared on either side of him as a warm body pressed against his back, "What's so funny?" a deep voice asked.

Naruto fought back the shiver that wanted to run through his body and he shook his head, "Just thinking about how you couldn't move last week."

Sasuke frowned, "That wasn't funny."

"Yes it was. You were so sore that you couldn't chase me away when I poked you." Naruto trailed off, "Although, you did get me the next day."

Now it was Sasuke's turn to chuckle as he remembered the blonds face when he pinned him to the ground and started to tickle him. A certain groom had dropped a hint to him about Naruto's ticklish spots, and he soon had the jockey screaming for mercy.

"So what are you doing out here?" He finally asked.

Naruto shrugged, "Just thinking."

Sasuke did not even need to ask what Naruto was thinking about. He let out a sigh, "What's wrong now? I thought Tsunade said he was doing fine."

"Yeah, Iruka said a few days ago that he was doing fine and Tsunade was expecting him to make a full recovery, but there's still the issue of the bill. Vet bills are expensive and Iruka doesn't like to have bills just sitting around, and we're not sure when Tsunade will clear him to breed yet."

Sasuke stayed silent for a while. It wasn't his place to ask how much the bill was; money was always a touchy subject in any business. He mulled over the problem for a while, wondering if there was anyway to ease the blonds mind, but nothing easy was coming to his mind. The only thing he could think of was offering money, but Naruto would be too proud to take the offer, and could be possibly offended by the idea.

Therefore, he needed to go at the problem from a different angle, "You know, if everything went fine at that race, you know you would have won."

Naruto's head turned around a bit and Sasuke could see a hint of blue, "Where are you going with this Sasuke?"

"I'm just thinking that since you should have won, you should have some of the purse."

"There was no guarantee that I would have won. Even if Kyuubi wasn't bumped, he might not have been able to hold the pace."

"Naruto, just take the money damn it."

The blond shook his head, "I can't do that to you Sasuke; and I know you just want to help, but it would be unfair to you. You earned that purse, beating out all the other colts in that race."

There was a loud squeal before a pink blur attached itself to Sasuke's arm. "Hi Sasuke, it's good to see you again."

"Sakura." He answered stiffly while Naruto snorted with laughter.

"Oh, Naruto, they need your help at the bunkhouse. Something about the freezer and a death threat from Gaara."

A light dawned in Naruto's mind at the mentioned freezer; he remembered a few days back that Gaara had wanted to clean out the freezer do to the smell that escaped every time the door was opened. The red head had blamed him, because he had left some of the pasta unwrapped and now mold was over taking the container.

"Um, I'll be right back." He said and quickly dashed away before the other jockey made him clean the freezer alone.

After he vanished, Sakura glanced up at the Uchiha, "Sasuke," she said, "Do you want to see my new pieces of tack that I bought a few weeks ago. They are really nice pieces; both eventing and I know that you are trying to be an eventer. There's a dark brown leather hunt seat and then I found another beautiful black dressage saddle that you should see as well." She pulled at his arm; not waiting for an answer and dragged him up the slightly sloping hill.

"Shouldn't you be helping Naruto and Gaara?" Sasuke questioned, not really wanting to see the grooms tack.

She glanced back at him, "They'll be fine for a few moments."

They reached the tack room and Sakura pulled the jockey into the room and shut the door, her previous attitude dropping quickly. He caught a quick glance at the dusty hunt seat and dressage saddle before she pushed him onto a tack trunk and crossed her arms, "Okay, what are you trying to play?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"I understand that you're concerned; we all are. But you seem overly concerned, almost like you're trying to make up for something."

"Do you still suspect me; do you think that I'm working with that bastard?" He hissed, "I understand your concern and that you don't want him hurt, but if you two hadn't said anything, things might not have been this hard."

Green eyes darted to the ground, "I know; we never should have said anything without looking into it first. And even though Gaara will never admit it or say anything; he does feel bad about jumping to conclusions so quickly, and he is sorry. We both are."

Sasuke was silent for a while, taking in the groom's apology. "So what are you trying to get at?"

She sighed, "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Well…" she paused, trying to figure out how to phrase her question without upsetting him, "Why are you doing this for him?"

Sasuke shrugged, "It seems like the right thing to do; wouldn't you do the same thing if it was your friend who was in his position?"

"Yes, I would, but I've also known my friend for a longer time than you've known Naruto." Sakura hesitated, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that it seems odd that you're so willing to help him out when just a few weeks ago, you hated his guts."

Sasuke glared at the ground, "I never hated him, maybe disliked him, but never hated him."

Sakura leaned against the wall, "What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure. When I first heard that Itachi was interested in him, I was slightly curious to see him; not many jockeys can grab his attention. But my first impression of him was that he was an idiot, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't beat him." Sasuke hesitated as he tried to form the correct words, "But the more I tried to hate him for besting me, the more I found myself being drawn in."

The groom fought to keep her face neutral; she could not believe that Sasuke was confessing how he felt about Naruto. However, she had the worst feeling that he still had no idea about his own feelings and it would take some major convincing to get him to realize it.

"Okay, but what made you change those thoughts?" she asked, sounding like a psychologist.

Sasuke was silent for a while before answering, "I suppose at the Preakness. He did not treat me any different because of my last name or because I was Itachi's younger brother. He showed me that racing was not about running for my father, but for myself. And I've never felt so at ease with someone, but when we train or just hang out, everything feels, right."

"Sounds like you care for him. And I mean more than just a friend."

"That's crazy, besides, we're both guys."

There was a soft snicker, "From what I heard, that never stopped you before."

Sasuke stiffened and wondered how Sakura had found out about his love life. "That was a few years ago and it doesn't matter anyway." His voice dropped, "I'm sure Naruto doesn't swing that way."

Another snicker and Sasuke looked up at a smiling face, "You never know. Anyway, as I was saying, you don't notice it, but you care for him more than you think."

"Sure, you keep telling yourself that."

Sakura sighed, "You've never had those times where you were protective of him, or just wanted to be near or hold him? Had those crazy desires to just touch him?" She looked at Sasuke, who was looking at the ground, "You know, those feelings where you want nothing but for him to be happy again, and you'd do anything to make it happen?"

Sasuke did not answer; instead, he glanced at the saddles that lined the wall. His eyes narrowed on them and he turned his attention back to Sakura. "I thought you said that your saddles were new? These are all covered in dust."

A smile grew across Sakura's face, "Oh, those aren't mine; they're Naruto's old eventing saddles."

Sasuke felt his eye twitch and had the sudden desire to strangle the groom.

\-------

Naruto poked his head around the corner of the kitchen, noticing that all the shelves were pulled out and a bucket was sitting on the countertop. His nose wrinkled slightly at the smell that floated through the area and he was thankful that it was nice enough to have the windows open. After taking a deep breath, he dashed up to the refrigerator, grabbed the offending container and tossed it into a bag. He grinned in triumph until he let out a rather loud yell.

Within moments, Gaara and Lee were in the kitchen, trying to find the source of the noise. Instead, they found Naruto holding a plastic bag at arms length, wide eyes staring at the offending item.

"It moved, I swear it moved!"

Gaara stared at the blond, "Somehow I doubt that."

Lee stepped forward and looked at the bag curiously, "I don't know Naruto. Food can't just move."

They continued to look at the plastic bag until it twitched suddenly.

"Holy crap, it did move! Get rid of it!" Lee shouted and even Gaara's eyes widened a bit.

The blond glanced at the bag before tossing it out of the window and they all breathed a sigh of relief. Naruto was the first to recover, "We- we'll have Zabuza throw it out when he gets back." He said before drifted over to the long sofa in the living room and dropped onto the soft cushions as a comfortable silence overtook the bunkhouse.

The ringing of the phone broke the silence and Naruto leaned over to answer it. Gaara and Lee glanced into the living room as Naruto grew silent and emotions began to flicker over his face and for a moment, they were worried he was going to pass out.

"Naruto..." Gaara started, but Naruto held up a finger, telling him to wait.

After a while, the jockey finally nodded and answered softly, "Okay, thanks Iruka. Yeah, I'll tell them."

The click of the phone was loud in the silence and the two Eclipse workers looked at Naruto expectantly.

"That was Iruka," he said, voice cracking a little, "It's about Kyuubi."

\--------

Sasuke stalked up to the bunkhouse, muttering under his breath about crazy females, while Sakura followed a couple steps behind him. She had a soft smile on her face and was in a good mood; after all, the Uchiha had pretty much stated his feelings for Naruto, now it was only the matter of getting him to see it. The smile dropped from her face however as a loud crash sounded from the bunkhouse along with a loud cry. Sasuke hesitated for a second before breaking into a jog with Sakura right behind him.

They reached the front door and took in the scene laid out before them.

It seemed that the crash came from a wooden rocking chair that Lee was tangled up in and Gaara had Naruto pinned to the ground, shaking him like a mad man. All the while, Naruto was grinning at him with a content look on his face.

"Naruto, I swear, if you ever do that again," Gaara was saying in a deathly calm, but serious voice, "I will not hesitate to kill you. Don't you ever pull that on us again!" Sensing that Naruto understood the threat, he stood up and helped him off the floor.

Sasuke cleared his throat, "What happened?"

The blond glanced back at the door and the grin grew a little bit wider. Before Sasuke knew what had happened, he was tackled to the ground and after blinking the stars away from his face, he finally focused on Naruto who was straddling his hips.

"Kyuubi's coming home tomorrow!" He exclaimed, "Tsunade cleared him a few days ago and said that when he gets home, he'll be fine to start breeding."

Sasuke felt a small smile settle over his lips, and he could not stop it even if he wanted to. Naruto looked down at him and grinned, making Sasuke suck in a deep breath. It had been a while since he had last seen Naruto smile like that; a smile that actually reached his eyes, making them shine in the light. For the past few weeks, those blue eyes had been dull and lifeless, but now these eyes, they shined with new life and he found himself falling into them.

_'You don't notice it, but you care for him more than you think.'_

His eyes trailed away from the azure eyes, tracing the whisker marks on his face, down to soft looking pink lips. Ebony eyes watched them move as Naruto answered a question from Sakura and before his mind could even register what his body was doing, he found himself on top of Naruto. He glanced down at the blond who looked back at him with questioning eyes and softly called out his name, drawing Sasuke's eyes back to those pink lips.

He was not aware that the room had suddenly become very quite, or that everyone was watching him. The only thing he heard was Naruto's soft breathing as he brought his face closer to Naruto's tan one, seeing those blue eyes that looked at him and those lips that were parted slightly allowing his breath to fan over his face. He brought his hand forward and lightly traced the whisker marks with the pad of his thumb before trailing his fingers down to Naruto's lips.

_'You've never had those times where you were protective of him, or just wanted to be near or hold him? Had those crazy desires to just touch him?'_

His fingers shook slightly as they traced over Naruto's soft lips and he felt the blond jockey suck in a sharp breath but did nothing to stop him. Sasuke dropped his head a little lower, allowing his breath to ghost over Naruto's, sending a small shiver through the younger male.

"Sasuke." He said softly.

_'Those feelings where you want nothing but for him to be happy again, and you'd do anything to make it happen?'_

Sasuke continued to let his head drop, until it rested next to Naruto's head, and Naruto could hear Sasuke's gentle breathing. "I'm glad." He whispered.

Cerulean eyes widened and they slid over to where Sasuke's head lay. "Sasuke?"

"I'm glad he's coming back to you, Naruto."

Sasuke was vaguely aware of Naruto's racing heart and the heat that spread through his body as it was pressed flush against the blond's body. But he was aware of his own racing heart and a feeling that he did not want to go away…

The shrill ring of the phone brought the real world crashing down on the two males, jerking them out of their own world they lay in. Sasuke quickly pushed off Naruto, who scrambled to get up and find the phone. The ringing stopped after the second ring and Sasuke cleared his throat, trying his best not to look at Naruto again.

"I better go back home, Itachi will want to know that Kyuubi is coming back tomorrow. I'll see you later."

Naruto nodded and watched Sasuke leave before dropping down onto the couch. He let out a groan and turned to glare at the phone. "Idiotic technology."

\-------

Gaara poked his head over the countertop in the kitchen after hearing the door slam shut for a second time. Seeing that Naruto had left, he slowly sank back down to the linoleum floor and turned his attention to the hallway that led to the stairwell.

"You called the phone, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did."

"Care to enlighten me why you did then Sakura? I thought you wanted them to get together."

The pink haired groom walked into the kitchen, cell phone cupped loosely in her hand. "He's not ready Gaara." She said softly, "Naruto knows how he feels about Sasuke, but Sasuke is just now realizing that he has feelings for Naruto. He's still unsure about his feelings and if he rushes into this and then realizes it's not what he wants, he'll hurt Naruto, again." Her voice hardened, "And I won't allow Naruto to get hurt again. I want to make sure that what he feels isn't lust, but love."

Gaara's eyes narrowed at this and he nodded. Watching Naruto suffer for the past two weeks had been hard enough, but if Sasuke suddenly backed out because he was feeling lust and not something else, the blond would be devastated. He stood up and glanced at Sakura, "Come on, we need to get the stable area ready for Kyuubi's return." He hesitated, "And since Kyuubi's been cleared to breed, we'll need to call him back home."

Sakura agreed and they walked out the back door. A comfortable silence fell over the bunkhouse until, "Sakura? Naruto? I'm still stuck here!" Lee yelled out.

\------

Sasuke barely remembered walking to the pasture where Sanis was waiting for him. He did not remember her nipping his hair when he took too long to saddle her, the ride back or handing him off to Ino when he arrived at the Estates. The only thing he remembered was Naruto's face that stared back at him in his memory. It was absurd, he concluded as he walked back to the main house. He could not be attracted to Naruto; they were friends and rivals, not lovers.

But his mind could not shake the image of those azure eyes staring at him, or the smile that seemed to make his heart flutter whenever he thought of it now. His body refused to let him forget the warm feeling that came from Naruto or the way his skin felt under his fingers. He shook his head angrily; no, he was not attracted to him, and he would prove it; somehow.

"Sasuke."

"I don't like him!" Sasuke yelled at the speaker.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Okay."

Sasuke blinked at his older brother, "What are you doing in my room?"

The eyebrow rose a little higher, "I was going to ask you the same question Sasuke."

Ebony eyes darted to the side, taking in the vast amount of books, wood paneled walls and large desk in front of a window. He fought the urge to pull at his hair, why was his mind not working properly?

"I'm in your study because they have new news on Kyuubi."

Itachi moved to sit behind the desk, "Tell me."

"Tsunade released him today and cleared him to breed. He'll be home tomorrow."

A small smirk crossed Itachi's face, "Excellent. I'm sure that Iruka is in a hurry to get the vet bills paid off."

"What?" Sasuke questioned.

Itachi waved his hand, "Nothing that concerns you Sasuke, now go get ready for dinner."

The younger Uchiha grunted but walked out of the study, leaving Itachi alone. After a while, he reached forward and dialed a familiar number, listening to the phone ring until someone picked up.

"I need some information on a colt named Kyuubi and his rider, Uzumaki Naruto."

\------

It was ten o' clock the next morning that had Naruto bouncing up and down like a child at Christmas time. The entire farm was waiting patiently for a familiar beat up truck to pull down the driveway, along with an all too familiar red chestnut. Every time a car drove by, Naruto would whip his head toward the sound, praying that it was Iruka, only to sigh in disappointment when it was not.

Five minutes passed before a truck slowly turned onto the driveway, making Naruto squeal with joy. He darted forward, but was stopped when Sasuke grabbed his wrist and held him back. "Let him park first Naruto." He said, "Nothing is going to happen in the minute that it takes to get down here."

Naruto watched as the truck continued its slow trek down the driveway before it finally came to a stop in front of him. He danced in spot as Iruka put the brake on and climbed out of the vehicle, followed by Gaara's siblings from the trailer door.

"Before you ask, he's okay." Temari said to Naruto and she stepped aside, "Go ahead and go see him before you die from excitement."

Sasuke felt Naruto's hand pull from his grasp and the blond was a blur as he ran to the trailer. He fought the smile that threatened to creep up and instead turned to Itachi, "Why are you here?"

"Business." He answered.

He rolled his eyes and moved to walk closer to the trailer, but Itachi held him back, "Give him some time with the colt."

Gaara looked at his sister and asked quietly, "How is he, really?"

Temari looked at him with a slightly pained expression, "He's doing a lot better than we expected. He did not fight the cast and sling and thankfully he did not develop laminitis in any of his other hooves. He lost weight of course, but he's gained most of it back."

"But."

"Tsunade had hopes earlier that the chances of him racing again were about 30 percent, but she didn't want to let Naruto know and get his hopes up. Turns out that her original guess was correct, he'll never race again, and it'll be a while before he can even be ridden again."

Gaara nodded. He had expected this much and he suspected that Naruto knew as well, and had probably come to terms with it already.

\-------

The inside of the trailer was dark, with a small amount of light coming from the cracked window. Naruto shuffled through the thickly bedded floor and made his way to his colt.

Pointed ears perked as a familiar smell entered his nose and he pranced in spot, letting out a soft whicker. He had missed his human so much while he was away, and he wanted nothing more than to see and smell him again. To be able to feel cool hands on his neck, telling him how much he cared for him, and to hear the voice that called his name.

His human that he loved and would still do anything for.

Naruto's eyes scanned over Kyuubi's body, noting immediately that his colt had lost some weight, but his coat and eyes still shinned with life. He wrapped his arms around Kyuubi's neck and breathed in the horses smell. A few tears leaked out of his eyes as he twisted his hands in the thick mane and murmured softly, "It's alright Kyuubi. You're back home now where you belong, and I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

The colt nickered softly and they stayed in that position, each enjoying the others company, reforming a bond that seemed like it had been torn apart.

The trailer tilted a little as someone stepped into the darkness and waited for their eyes to adjust. Sasuke smiled when he saw the two standing together and walked forward. As he moved closer, he heard the soft, quivering breath that Naruto took and he wrapped his arms around the blonds waist then laid his head on his shoulder.

"He'll be fine Naruto."

Naruto nodded into the mane and muttered, "Thanks Sasuke." He pulled back and quickly wiped his eyes before turning around to face Sasuke, "Can you get them to unlock the back so we can get him out of here?"

A moment later, light filled the trailer as the back door was opened. Kyuubi tossed his head and pranced in the bedding, ready to be back outside after the long ride. Naruto carefully backed the colt out of the trailer and onto the soft grass, where the colt surveyed the surroundings, taking in everything again. After giving it a snort of approval, he lipped at Naruto's hair, and then butted his nose against his leg. The blond laughed, pulled out a carrot and fed it to Kyuubi.

"He looks healthy." Itachi said walking up to the colt and letting him sniff his hand.

Naruto flashed him a smile, "Yep, Tsunade said he recovered a lot quicker than she expected."

The older Uchiha nodded, "That's what I've been told, which is why I have a proposition for you." Naruto nodded hesitantly and Itachi continued, "I have a mare that is in heat right now and I would like to have Kyuubi cover her."

"Isn't that asking for a lot right now Itachi?" Sasuke asked coming up along side Naruto, "After all, the colt just came home."

Itachi smirked, "I wasn't talking about right now of course. There are many things that need to be done before hand, we need to have a vet check both horses and see if they'll even accept each other."

The blond was silent as he listened to the two argue. He knew that Kyuubi was fine and more than likely ready to breed and there was already a long line of potential breeders waiting to bring their mares down when Kyuubi was cleared from the vet. He glanced back at Iruka and the others who were watching curiously, ready to see what happened, knowing that the stud fees would easily pay off the vet bills. He spared the colt a glance, wondering what he would want to do.

"Okay."

Both Uchiha's stopped arguing and looked at Naruto. "What?"

"I said okay, he can breed." A smile slowly spread across Naruto's face, "After all, he's worked his entire life, why not let him have some fun now?"

Sasuke smirked at the answer and followed Naruto as they took Kyuubi back to the field to let him graze while Itachi and Iruka worked out the boring business details. They returned at the end of the discussion in time to hear Itachi mention the one part Naruto had been dreading.

"We need someone to prove it was a live cover."

Naruto shuddered, "Don't worry, we have one. He's coming back either tonight or tomorrow."

Sakura snickered, "Don't be like that Naruto, you know you missed him."

"How could I miss him? He's evil, he's perverted, he's..."

"Your boyfriend." Sakura chirped

"WHAT!" Naruto screamed at her, "Don't even joke like that!"

Sakura chuckled, sparing a glance at Sasuke, who had suddenly stiffened and had an odd look in his eyes, "Sorry Naruto, I couldn't help it, you made yourself such an easy target there."

And as Naruto glared at her he missed seeing Sasuke as he slipped away from the small group.

"I'm not jealous." He told himself, but the little voice whispered in his mind, _'Then why does it hurt so much to hear that?'_ And Sasuke was left without an answer.

\------

Two days later, Sasuke found himself standing next to Itachi, holding the mare's lead line with Kakashi, while they waited for Naruto to bring out Kyuubi. The vet had cleared both horses for breeding and after making sure that they would take to each other, the date was set. Both Uchiha's had stayed at the Eclipse stables to make sure that everything went smoothly; well, Sasuke claimed that he was helping Itachi, but he had his own reason's as well.

He would never admit it aloud, but he didn't want Naruto to spend time alone with the coverer that Sakura had mentioned. Even though Naruto had profusely claimed that, he didn't like the man, Sasuke still stuck close to the blond, and if Naruto noticed anything weird about his behavior, he didn't comment on it. Sasuke himself shrugged off the feeling as concern for his friend's safety, refusing to admit to himself that he could, very well be jealous.

Therefore, when the fateful day came that they would actually meet for the first time; it was safe to say that Sasuke was on edge, tense, and ready to murder said coverer if he so much as looked at Naruto the wrong way. Still not jealous though.

His eyes flickered to the left where Naruto was leading the red chestnut, accompanied by the white haired trainer and the vet. Ebony eyes searched for someone he didn't recognize but failed to find an unfamiliar face. Itachi also noticed this and questioned the blond about the coverer's absence.

"He's coming," Naruto answered, "Sadly."

Naruto caught Sasuke's eyes as he looked across the field and grinned at him, before the grin faltered and Sasuke turned to follow his gaze. Coming across the field was a tall, pale figure with black hair almost like his and behind him, he felt Naruto shift closer to him.

The coverer approached them with a seemingly fake smile that Sasuke disliked right away and held out his hand toward Itachi, "Mr. Uchiha, I'm Sai, and I'll be watching the cover."

Itachi nodded and they released hands, allowing Iruka to lead the way to the breeding area. Jiraiya and Iruka took the lead line from Naruto while Kakashi and Itachi led the mare away from Sasuke, saying that they would handle the rest. As the horses disappeared into the darkened stable, Sai stayed back for a while and Sasuke stiffened as Sai looked at him for the briefest of moments, before looking around him to where Naruto was trying to hide.

As a silence fell over the small group, Naruto finally poked his head out from behind Sasuke's shoulder and flashed a quick smile, "Hi Sai."

"I haven't seen you in a year and that's all you have to say?" he asked calmly before walking around Sasuke and quickly grabbed the blond haired jockey.

Naruto let out a yelp as he felt a hand squeeze his butt and tried to dart away, but a pale arm had wrapped itself around his waist. "Do you know how long it's been since I've seen this?' the hand gave another pinch to his bottom, "And how much I've longed to taste you?" A tongue darted out to lick Naruto's cheek while the arm that held him in place, preventing him from moving.

"Stop it Sai!" Naruto cried, wriggling in the tight grasp.

There was a sickening sound of bone cracking and Naruto felt himself being pulled from Sai's grasp and into another, tighter grasp. His eyes widened when he saw Sai on the ground, blood trickling down his chin and he looked up into the angry black eyes of Sasuke. He felt himself being pressed tighter against Sasuke's body as Sai stood up and glanced in their direction with a smile on his face.

"Wipe that smile off your face." Sasuke spat.

"There was no need to resort to violence," Sai answered, "We were just messing around."

Sasuke growled, "He obviously didn't like it and wanted you to stop."

Sai smirked, "I've known him longer than you, Uchiha, and more importantly; I've never intentionally hurt him."

Sasuke couldn't help but flinch at the sentence but glared at Sai as he took a step forward, "Stay away from him." He snarled and pushed Naruto behind him, trying to keep the other male from getting to the blonde-haired jockey, but Sai kept coming closer.

Salvation came in the form of a red headed jockey and pink haired groom. Sakura reached forward and yanked Sai by the ear, "You idiot, why did you vanish like that, you have a job to do!"

Sai flashed her a smile and followed with out any complaint; not that he had much choice with Sakura pulling him by his ear. Gaara shot Sasuke a look as he followed them, but didn't comment on anything. A silence fell over the two males as Sasuke slowly began to relax and behind him Naruto breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks Sasuke."

Sasuke grunted and turned towards Naruto, "He seemed friendly."

The blond rolled his eyes and gave Sasuke a friendly push, "Did you just make a joke?" When Sasuke glared at him, he dropped his gaze to the ground, "Sorry. Come on, lets go get Sanis."

Sasuke followed the other jockey, mind wheeling with questions. He kept telling himself that he wasn't jealous, but that little part in the back of his mind was being treacherous, whispering that if he wasn't careful, Naruto would disappear. The thought of him being with someone else, made his chest ache and his stomach clench painfully.

"So," he started casually, "If you don't like Sai, then why is he working here?"

Naruto laughed as he sat on the railing, "It's not that I dislike him, I just find it annoying when he acts like that. Sai started here as a groom, but when we started to get more help, he decided to go overseas and work on his artwork. Those pictures in my room are from him since he does some photography on the side. Now he'll come back when we need him for breeding season, stay for a few months, then leave again."

The older jockey didn't answer and instead thought about what Naruto had said. He found it surprising that he was happy with the knowledge that Sai would only be staying for a while. If the other male was planning to stay; well, Sasuke didn't want to think about that.

"Sasuke, you're not focusing, Sanis is drifting." Naruto said from the railing.

Sasuke shook his head and glanced at the grey Thoroughbred who was weaving in the ring. Naruto jumped down from the railing and came up in front of him, "I know you don't like to lunge her, but I promise this will help her." He took the reins from him and flicked the long whip behind Sanis, sending her into a smooth trot. She made a few circuits around the ring before Naruto gestured to Sasuke, "Take over."

Sasuke stepped up behind Naruto and placed his hands on the line, brushing his fingers against Naruto's fingers. He didn't let them linger as Naruto pulled his hands back and Sasuke quickly missed the warmth of them. Sasuke spared a quick look at Naruto who was watching the workout with intense blue eyes before he spoke up again, "Tell her to canter."

He nodded and gave the command, pleased when the mare picked up without any hesitation. A smile appeared on Naruto's face and he moved to leave the ring but Sasuke reached out and pulled him back until his back was pressed against his chest. Naruto looked up with a small hint of red on his cheeks and he answered, "Stay here."

Naruto reached forward and took the long whip from his hand, bringing it back to his side as the mare continued at an easy canter. Sasuke hesitated for a moment, before bringing his now free arm up and wrapping it around Naruto's waist and resting his chin on the blond head. He felt the younger male relax into his hold and lean his head back against his chest as they moved in a small circle, following the mare's movement.

And it was in that time that Sasuke felt at peace.

\-------

They were leading Sanis back to the stable when Sai met them again. Sasuke glared at him but Sai simply held up his hands in a peace offering, "I'm not going to touch him Uchiha. If anything, you confirmed my suspicion about Naruto."

Naruto glared at him, "Don't say it Sai."

Sai smirked, "He really doesn't have a peni-"

He was tackled to the ground by an angry blond blur, which then proceeded to grab his collar and shake him like a rag doll. "I thought I told you not to say that!" Naruto froze when he felt a hand grab his wrists and another hand tug at the waistbands to his pants and boxers, before the exclamation cut through the silence, "Oh, you do have one."

Sai released the waistband and leaned up, giving Naruto a quick kiss on the nose, before squirming out from under him. It took all of two seconds for Naruto to recover and a millisecond after that to chase after Sai. "Get back here you bastard!" he screamed.

"They make a cute couple." A voice said behind Sasuke.

Sasuke turned around to see Sakura and he snorted, "It's one sided."

"That may be true, but Sai's feelings a pure and real." Sakura said and Sasuke snorted before the female continued, "You may think that, but one can only wait for so long. If you think you're jealous now over the little touches and affection he shows Naruto, you'll hate it if they get together."

"I'm not jealous!" He snapped but inside the awful feeling of Naruto dating Sai twisted at his gut and he refused to let it happen.

"If you say so." She said and started to walk away, "But if I were you, I'd think about my feelings for him before someone else does and takes him away."

She vanished into the stables, leaving Sasuke alone to think about his feelings, and he suddenly realized that he didn't want someone else to take Naruto away. And he found himself confused by the new feeling.


	14. Confession

Naruto hummed happily, as he made his way out across the fields. It had been two weeks since Kyuubi had come home and he was enjoying every minute of it. After the breeding session with the Uchiha's mares Iruka decided to breed one of their mares with him as well before more buyers approached them. It was still a week too early to tell, but Tsunade was pretty sure that the mare was with a foal and it made the blond jockey even more excited.

Then there was Sasuke.

Ever since the Sai incident, (which Sai did not escape from unharmed), Sasuke wanted to continue the lessons at his Estates. And if for some reason they needed to train at the Eclipse barn, he rarely left his side. Not that Naruto found all the attention annoying; on the contrary, he rather enjoyed it. From the small touches that danced over his skin to just being near the younger Uchiha when they lunged Sanis, he enjoyed every moment of it.

Because he feared that, it would not last.

In his mind, it was just a one-sided love. He knew that Sasuke would never return his feelings and he feared that they would disgust him. Therefore, he was just content with being near him until the time that someone else would catch his eye, and he would be forced to let him go and smile like everything was all right. Naruto let out a little sigh at the thought, it was depressing and he did not like to think about it, but he knew that he would have to accept what life threw at him.

\-----

Two weeks.

Two weeks, he had been following Naruto around, making sure that Sai did not try anything again.

Two weeks since he realized that he did not want Sai; or anyone else for that matter, to take Naruto away from him.

Four days, trying to convince himself that maybe he was just being irrational and over concerned for his friend. But as the days slowly passed, he found himself rethinking that thought. Every time his fingers brushed over Naruto's skin, he could not ignore the fact that his heart would start to speed up nor could he ignore the tingling sensation that was left on his skin when Naruto touched him.

Two hours staring at his ceiling as his mind came to the realization, that maybe, he did feel something more for Naruto.

A minute for this fact to sink into his brain and sit permanently, refusing to leave his mind.

And three seconds for him to grab a pillow and cover his face with it.

"Fuck."

\------

Sasuke trudged down the gently slopping hill to the barn where Ino was grooming a young filly, and cleared his throat. The blond female looked at him with an annoyed look, but put the grooming supplies down.

"Yes Sasuke?"

He shifted uneasily, "You're a girl right?"

Ino looked down at herself, then checked her pants before responding, "Well, I'd hope so, otherwise I'm missing some very important parts."

"How do you know if you're in, in…if you like someone?"

Ino blinked, "Well, I guess it's different for each person, there is no direct answer." Sasuke's face fell and she quickly added, "Although, I know that a lot of people get jealous when they see the person they like going out with someone else and they, um, well, how did you feel with your other relationships and compare it with how you feel with Naruto now"

Sasuke's head shot up, "I never said it was Naruto."

"Fine, but when you decide how you feel about this person; who's not Naruto, you'll know." She unclipped the crossties and led the filly away, leaving Sasuke alone in the aisle way.

He scoffed at her retreating back and moved down the stables until he found Sanis resting in her stall. Today, Naruto was not needed at the farm and they had decided to hold the lessons at the Uchiha Estates and Sasuke smirked when he realized that Sai would not be anywhere near them today. As he started to groom the mare, he thought about what Ino had told him and he tried to remember how he felt with all his past relationships.

They were all just small things, nothing serious; his mother had called it puppy love. Thinking back, his heart never sped up when he was around them and he did not care when they started seeing other people. He frowned as he led Sanis outside to the ring where Naruto was sitting and waiting for him on the railing. He turned around when he heard the hoof beats on the ground and flashed him a smile and once again, Sasuke felt his heart sped up.

"What took you so long?" Naruto asked as he jumped off the railing and opened the gate, "I wanted you to work on Sanis today."

Sasuke turned towards him, "What do you mean?"

The blond grinned, "It means that Sanis is finally ready to accept a rider and we can move away from the ground basics. You can lunge her first, then you can put her through some paces from the saddle and… what are you looking at?"

A frown had crossed Sasuke's face and he reached forward, grabbing Naruto's chin in a firm grip. "What happened?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Naruto said.

"This." Sasuke answered, and lightly traced a cut on his forehead, "How did you get this?"

"Oh, Sai and I got a little too rough last night." Naruto stated then winced, "Sasuke, can you let go, you're hurting me."

Sasuke blinked and slowly dropped his hand as the words finally sunk in, "I thought you didn't like him."

Naruto snorted as he attached the lunge line to the bridle, "Well yeah, that's why we were fighting. Luckily, Gaara was there to help me; otherwise Sai would have gotten away with eating the rest of my ramen."

 _'Wait, wait, wait. This whole thing was a fight about ramen?'_ Sasuke thought to himself as a sense of relief rushed over him.

"Ramen huh."

"Yeah, what did you think I – wait, did you think I was talking about doing something else?" Naruto asked and a bright red tint colored his cheeks.

Sasuke turned away from the sputtering blond-haired jockey and walked towards the gate. He called a groom over and asked them to watch Sanis before he headed back to the main house; all the while Naruto was following after him, still babbling incoherent words. He ignored his older brother as they made their way to his room and into the bathroom where Sasuke grabbed Naruto and forced him to sit on the edge of the bathtub.

"Sasuke what,"

Sasuke covered Naruto's mouth with his hand and glared at him, before turning around to dig through a cabinet. Naruto let out a sigh before looking around the spotless white bathroom and he suddenly felt bad that he was wearing his dirty boots on the clean tile floor. It was silent in the large room except for the shuffling noises that came from inside of the cabinet as Sasuke moved items around, and finally a soft, 'found it' was heard.

A small white box was placed on the cabinet before Sasuke turned around with a bottle in one hand and a cotton ball in the other, "Hold still." He said as the wet fluff ball was pressed against the cut, making Naruto howl in pain. The blond tried to move away but the older male grabbed his chin and forced him to hold still as he cleaned the cut.

"S'uke, it stings."

Sasuke let out a huff, and blew on the drying cut, then put a Neosporin covered Band-Aid over the area, "Don't be a wimp, I'm done."

"You should kiss it to make it feel better." Naruto said with a laugh.

Sasuke blinked and before either could react, he tilted Naruto's chin forward and brushed his lips against the covered cut, sending a small jolt through his body. He opened eyes that he did not realize he had closed and pulled back slowly, "Better?"

Naruto nodded mutely and sat quietly as Sasuke put the first aid kit back in the cabinet then motioned for Naruto to follow him. They made their way out of the bathroom and found Itachi waiting by the bedroom door as they walked out into the hallway.

"It sounded like you were killing a cat in there." He stated.

"That was just Naruto being a baby." Sasuke answered then eyed the books in his brother's arms, "What are those?"

"Oh these, well I got tired of looking at your baby pictures sitting in my study, so I brought them back to you.

"Itachi!" Sasuke almost shouted, but instead it came out as a strangled cry.

Naruto's ears perked up, "I wanna see." And Sasuke let out a groan while Itachi smirked in triumph and passed the books into Naruto's waiting hands.

The younger Uchiha glared as Itachi left, and then turned to Naruto who was thumbing through the pages. "Aw, Sasuke you looked so cute." He said with a small laugh, then pointed to a picture, "Is this your first time on a horse."

Sasuke smiled a little, pulled the books from his arms and walked over to the bed. He sat on the soft bed and leaned against the headboard then gestured for the blonde-haired jockey to come over and answered the quizzical look, "If you're going to look through these, I'm not sitting on the hard floor while you look at them." Naruto flushed a little bit before joining him. He crawled over the bed, and settled in between Sasuke's legs, allowing the older male to pull him flush against his chest.

Sasuke pointed to a picture, "That was the first horse I ever rode."

\------

The sound of the doorbell was what woke Sasuke up an hour later. He blinked away the sleep, looked at the clock and then at the sleeping blond who was curled up on his chest. Somewhere during their hour nap, Sasuke's arms had found themselves wrapped around Naruto's shoulders and waist, pulling him closer and Naruto had taken to grabbing at his shirt in his sleep.

He ran a hand through Naruto's blond hair, before his hand slipped down to caress the tan cheek, smiling as the younger male leaned into the touch. He froze when the blond mumbled his name and turned in his sleep, giving Sasuke a better view of his sleeping face, and he couldn't stop thinking that it looked adorable.

Despite the want to stay in the comfortable bed with the blond jockey, he shook Naruto's shoulder, waking him up. He blinked a couple times as he took in his surroundings, then looked up at Sasuke before a blush quickly spread over his cheeks.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry." He looked over Sasuke's wrinkled shirt, "I didn't drool on you or anything did I?"

Sasuke chuckled and let go of the blond, who scrambled off the bed. "Come on, we need to get back to Sanis, I left her with a groom and we've been gone for more than an hour."

Naruto let out a squawk and quickly sprinted out of the room, his mind finally settling back on the reason he came over in the first place. Sasuke followed him in a more dignified pace, and he couldn't help but smile at the blond's antics.

It turned out that Itachi had informed the groom of the small detour, and Sanis had been taken care of during the time they were gone, leaving Sasuke to re-saddle her, which he did while mumbling under his breath. He also didn't miss the grooms giggling as she passed by them and she took in their wrinkled clothing. He shot her a glare that she missed and once again led the mare out to the ring with Naruto walking next to him.

"Put her through her paces." He said once they entered the ring and Sasuke nodded. The previous hour was pushed from his mind as he focused on the mare, he was excited that he would finally be able to work her from the saddle; it meant that he was one-step closer to achieving his goal.

Naruto moved next to Sasuke, and watched Sanis move around the ring. The mare was improving and he could tell by the look on Sasuke's face that he was excited to move onto the new stage. He finally signaled for Sasuke to pull her down. "Alright, climb up, I'll lunge you from here."

Sasuke nodded and handed the reins and whip to Naruto, then walked towards the white Thoroughbred. After adjusting his stirrup length, he easily swung on and picked up the reins, while Naruto looked over his seating.

"We're not going to do anything too hard today, just get her used to the bit and commands again. I'm here as a guide, use your voice, heels and hands to make her move." Naruto called from the center of the ring.

Sasuke nodded and lightly tapped Sanis with his heels, "Walk on." He told her and a small smile formed on his face as the mare took the step forward without any more encouragement. After a couple passed around the ring, he urged her into a trot, being careful to give the signals along with the voice command. From the corner of his eye, he saw Naruto nodding his head in approval as the mare completed another circuit and he pulled back on the reins gently, pleased when she obediently dropped to a smooth walk.

He brought her to a stop in front of Naruto who was grinning at him, "So, how was it?"

Sasuke dismounted and brought the reins over Sanis's head, "It was, amazing." He answered, "I never thought that I'd be able to get her to listen to me like that."

Naruto nodded as they headed toward the wash rack, "That's the nice thing about training your own horse, you know what they like and dislike, and they're most likely to listen to you better."

After stripping Sanis of her tack, they hosed the mare off, enjoying the cool spray from the hose. It reminded Sasuke of the time he found Naruto at the small pond and he wondered if they should go back sometime. He was contemplating the thought when Sanis nudged him in the back and jerked her head up, pushing Sasuke off balance. His hand shot out for the closest object as he tried to regain his balance, but the closest object, just happened to be Naruto.

Splat

Sasuke opened his eyes as he felt a mixture of cold mud on his back and something warm lying on top of him. Blue eyes met black and Naruto started to snicker, "You're all muddy Sasuke."

He rolled his eyes and quickly flipped their positions, pushing the blonde-haired person into the squishy mud, "So are you."

"Aw, Sasuke, these were my favorite jeans. Now I have to do laundry."

"You should do laundry anyways." Sasuke answered.

Naruto pouted and Sasuke found himself drowning in the blue eyes as they continued to stare at him. That is, until a ball of mud smacked him on the side of his head. He blinked and noticed that Naruto had a look of innocence on his face, but his eyes were dancing in mischief. "Naruto." He growled and picked up some mud in his hand.

The blond tried to squirm away, "I didn't do it, no wait, Sasuke!" He cried as some mud was shoved into his shirt. He let out a squeal as Sasuke's fingers brushed the mud against his ticklish spot on his stomach and quickly placed a mud-covered hand over the Sasuke's face, "I give, I give."

Sasuke smirked and pulled himself up from the mud, leaving Naruto panting and flustered in the mud. He quickly shook his head as something else sprung into his mind and he reached down to help the blond up, "Come on, we need to rinse off."

Naruto grunted and shot him an annoyed look, but grabbed the hose from Sasuke's hand. He aimed the nozzle at the older male and let the stream of water hit him on the chest, then started to move down. "Turn around." He said, once the front side was clean, and then proceeded to clean the back. Once he deemed Sasuke clean, he handed the hose back to Sasuke and gave him a look that said, 'if you don't wash this mud off now, I'm going to kill you.'

Sasuke complied with Naruto's wishes and soon had him clean. He looked at Naruto as he unclipped Sanis, "Isn't this how we first met?"

"No."

Sasuke turned to look at him, only to be hit with a stream of water in his face, along with an apologetic face from the blonde-haired person that he had now grown to care about, "That was how we met."

Naruto let out a laugh and dropped the hose before running up to Sasuke. He slung a wet arm over Sasuke's shoulder, in a weird, one-armed hug, "And I'm glad we did." He said softly, and then realized that he was hanging onto the older male, "Sorry."

He started to pull away, but Sasuke reached forward and pulled Naruto closer, tucking his nose into the blond hair, inhaling the sweet smell and he let out a small sigh.

 _'I don't want to let you go Naruto; I think I've fallen for you.'_ They stood there for a while longer and Sasuke could feel Naruto's heart beating against his chest, _'No, I know I have.'_

"I'm glad we did too."

\------

Sasuke let out a tired sigh he led Sanis through the pasture. Naruto was going to be needed at the farm today, which meant that they were going to hold lessons at the Eclipse stables. This meant he was going to have to keep Sai away from Naruto. He already admitted it to himself that he had fallen for the blonde-haired jockey, there was no way around that fact, but Sakura had only hinted that Naruto might be interested in him as well.

Then there was this new tag a long problem.

Ino wanted to come over to see Sakura, saying she had some new news to tell the other girl. He didn't question it, but there was something in those eyes that he didn't like. That and he had seen Ino talking to the other groom yesterday.

So yes, today was going to be a long day.

After placing Sanis in the pasture, he made his way to the back, where Naruto was warming up Dark Angel by sending him over some small jumps. He watched as the powerful Thoroughbred moved effortlessly over the small jumps, and he couldn't wait to take Sanis over them himself, but for now, he was satisfied with riding the black horse. Naruto brought the horse over to the gate and dropped down to the ground, before frowning at him.

"You don't look very happy."

"Ino followed me over here."

Naruto shrugged, "It doesn't matter, you can't let other people's actions or remarks affect you. People at eventing can be harsh and try to mess with your mind and your horse will pick up on your feelings."

Sasuke was silent as the blond opened the gate and let him in. He automatically adjusted the lengths of the stirrups and then mounted, while Naruto adjusted the height of the jumps. Sasuke noticed with interest that they were close to four feet now.

"Alright, he's warmed up already; take him around the course once to get used to the new height." Naruto said.

The Uchiha nodded and lightly tapped the horse's side, sending him into a smooth canter. The feeling of being weightless over the jump came over him as they moved over the first jump, and then glided towards the next one. The second one proved tougher and Sasuke had a rail down, making him lose concentration as he took a rail down at the next jump as well. He ground his teeth together and collected himself for the last four jumps, jumping them without any problem.

Naruto smiled softly, "What were your mistakes?"

"I didn't have him extend enough on the second jump and lost focus on the third."

"Good, go fix it."

Sasuke guided Dark Angel back onto the course again, making sure to focus on the jumps as they approached and think about the ones that were coming up. Naruto was just trying to get him to jump clean still, but as he improved, they would add speed to the training as well. He was having a clear run and the last jump was just a simple bar jump, nothing hard, and he wanted to show Naruto that he was ready to move on. He glanced out of the corner of his eye as they rounded the turn towards the last turn to see if the blond was watching.

Only to see Sai with him.

The breeder was standing next to him, telling him something, before the blond proceeded to throw his arms around the older male. A smile slid over Sai's face and he pulled Naruto into a tighter hug, swinging him slightly.

Sasuke's eyes widened at the scene until he realized that Dark Angel had shifted direction quickly. His head snapped forward at the movement and the only thing he saw was the jump approaching, before the ground and sky meshed, and he hit the ground on his back, knocking the wind out of him. 

He lay still as the sky spun out of control, making him close his eyes. He could hear feet running toward him, and he wondered if he just stayed still, they wouldn't bother him.

He couldn't be that lucky though.

"Sasuke, Sasuke are you alright?"

Sasuke cracked an eye open to see blue eyes gazing down at him, they were filled with concern and worry was etched into his tan face. He closed his eye again and let out a groan, "Please tell me no one else saw that."

A shadow covered his face, making him open his eyes again and when he did, he almost groaned again. He was really hoping that Sai hadn't seen that, or was at least gone.

"Sai, can you go back to the stables and tell Iruka that I'll talk to him when we finish here?"

Sai must have agreed because the shadow vanished, leaving him alone with Naruto again. He looked at Naruto and sat up slowly. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Sasuke said, "I just had the wind knocked out of me."

Naruto helped him stand up and handed him the reins, "Can you ride?"

Sasuke nodded and took the reins before mounting again. He knew that it wasn't good to end a lesson on a bad note and Naruto was also making sure that he wasn't going to become scared to jump. He sent the horse through the course again, focusing on the jumps and not letting his eyes wonder off the course. After the last jump, he pulled the gelding up and smirked at Naruto.

"Much better." Naruto said, "Come on, I need to talk to Iruka and then we'll break for lunch."

They headed back towards the stables, where Sakura took care of Dark Angel while Naruto headed off to Iruka's office, leaving Sasuke to wait for him. The meeting didn't take long and the two jockeys made their way back to the bunkhouse for lunch, where they ate in comfortable silence. Sasuke's head was spinning, and it was not from the fall. He wanted to know what Sai had told Naruto, but some small part of him was nervous about finding out the truth.

He lost his chance to ask when Gaara came into the kitchen while they were eating and Naruto started to tell him about the new schedule that was going to start next week. Sasuke listened with half an ear; he really didn't need to know about their training schedule for the new colts since it wasn't his farm. Finally, they finished and they were able to go back to the pasture again, where they found a small audience waiting for them.

Sakura and Ino were perched on the railing waiting for them. They waved at them as they approached and Sakura jumped down. "You don't mind if we watch do you? We heard that Sanis was coming along really nicely."

Naruto shrugged, "I don't care, and it's up to Sasuke though."

Sasuke looked at them and grunted, "It doesn't bother me."

The two girls smiled and leaned against the rail as Naruto attached the lunge line. "This will be good practice for her. I know she's used to performing in crowds, but it's been a while."

He handed the reins and whip to Sasuke and moved out of his way, as Sasuke began warming the mare up. He stood next to the two grooms, explaining what Sasuke was doing, and answered their questions as they arose. After the mare was warmed up, he ducked back into the ring, telling Sasuke to mount up.

Over the past few days, they were able to work Sanis up to a canter with the lunge line, but Naruto wanted to take her off the line today if she listened. He watched the horse and rider move around the ring and he noted that Sanis was handling the gaits well. He signaled Sasuke to pull her down and he approached when the mare had stopped. The blond reached forward and unclipped the lunge line from the bridle.

"Take her around the ring a couple times at a walk, then go to a trot without the lunge line and we'll see how she does."

Sasuke nodded and urged the mare into a walk. She moved smoothly into the gait without any voice command and Sasuke felt the corners of his lips twitch slightly. After circling the ring for a second time, he tapped her sides and she slid into a trot. He glanced at Naruto and noticed that he was smiling at the improvement they had made. He slowed her down to a walk so she could relax and catch her breath while Naruto slid out of the ring again.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as he saw him heading toward Sai, who had a triumphant look on his face. He stopped the mare and watched as Naruto snatched the paper out of the breeders hand and stuffed the paper into his pockets. Naruto let out a yelp as Sai tried to grab the white paper back, but the blond ducked away from the hand. Sai frowned and managed to tackle Naruto to the ground and find the hidden paper, making Naruto protest.

"Don't they do this all the time?" Ino asked, "You'd think that he almost enjoys it."

Naruto stomped his was back to them, muttering under his breath about how he hated his ticklish spot since everyone knew where it was. He pouted as Sakura giggled at him, and then turned his attention back to Sasuke. "Sorry about that, send her around again at a trot and see if you can get her to extend."

Sasuke growled but pushed Sanis into a trot. For all that, Naruto complained about Sai, he was very tolerant to someone he said he disliked and that dampened his mood quickly. Sanis flickered her ears back towards him, noticing his mood instantly and she let out a snort. She moved into a canter when she felt the increased pressure on her sides, only to be pulled down again to a trot. The mare tossed her head, confused at the signals that were being given.

Naruto frowned as he noticed the mare's behavior, and then took in Sasuke's tight face. "Sasuke, relax. Sanis is picking up on your mood." He hesitated, "Maybe trying to get her to extend this quickly was a bad idea; it was kind of quick."

"She can do it." Sasuke snapped and set the mare out at a trot again. He frowned when she tried to go into a canter and quickly pulled her down, before sending her into a trot again.

"Sasuke, stop. She's confused and worked up, she won't figure it now." Naruto called out and narrowed his eyes as Sasuke tried again. He ducked under the railing and grabbed the reins as Sanis passed by. Sanis tossed her head up and snorted uneasily as Sasuke glared down at him.

"Naruto let her go." The blond shook his head making Sasuke growl in anger. He pushed his heals into her side, setting her off at a walk, but Naruto quickly pulled back on the reins and his eyes flashed in anger.

"Sasuke, get of the horse. Now."

"Why."

"She's upset, you're upset and we're not going to get anything done this way. If you keep this up you're going to mess up everything that she's learned." Naruto snarled, "Now. Get. Off."

They glared at each for a moment longer before Sasuke finally slid down. Naruto reached forward and took the reins from Sasuke's hands, leading the mare towards the gate, where he handed them to Sakura, telling her to cool the mare out. He gestured for Sasuke to follow him.

When they reached an empty paddock, Naruto faced Sasuke, "What was that? You know that you can't force Sanis like that." He snapped. He took a deep breath to calm himself before asking, "What was wrong?"

Sasuke gave a hollow laugh, "Nothing."

"Sasuke, that wasn't nothing. Was it because of the fall earlier?"

"No." He snapped.

"Sakura and Ino?"

"It's you." Sasuke snarled, and Naruto instantly quieted, "You say that you don't like him, yet you let him do all these things to you."

"You're bothered by my relationship with Sai?" Naruto questioned. "He's just a friend."

"It doesn't seem like it."

"What's that mean and what does Sai have to do with any of this? You barely know him." Naruto said, starting to lose his patience again.

"I know that even though you constantly say you dislike him, you still let him do all these things to you. If you don't like him so much, why are you so friendly with him?"

Naruto growled, "He's not always like that, he just likes to mess around with me."

"But you enjoy it."

"Sasuke," the blond said slowly, "Are you jealous of my relationship with Sai?"

The Uchiha snorted, "Why would I be jealous of him and why would anyone be jealous over you?" The words tumbled out before he could stop them and he instantly took in the hurt on the younger males face.

Naruto's eyes widened slightly, before he narrowed them at the older male, "Go home Sasuke, we're done for the day."

"Wait, Naruto, I didn't mean that."

"No, you do this all the time. If you're mad at me for something I did, I can't fix it if you don't tell me what's wrong. And you know, if I ignored everyone that annoyed me or I disliked the first time I met them, we wouldn't be here right now, but I put up with your arrogant ass when we first met."

"So why didn't you just ignore me then? You could have just pushed me away when I kept annoying you, so why did you not stop me?"

"I don't know, maybe because I wanted to be your friend." Naruto snapped, "Did that thought ever occur to you? Did it even occur to you that I might have actually fallen for you?"

Sasuke blinked while Naruto's eyes widened when he realized what he had just said, "Wh- what did you just say?"

"Nothing," he said, "Just, just go back home Sasuke, it's getting late and it'll be dark in a few minutes."

He turned around and walked off, leaving Sasuke with the two females who were watching the retreating back with shocked faces. They looked at Sasuke whose face was unreadable and then back at Naruto who obviously wasn't coming back anytime soon.

They rounded on Sasuke, "Go after him!"

"What? No!"

They sighed, "He obviously cares about you and we know you like him."

Sasuke snorted, "I pretty sure he doesn't want to talk to me right now, and why can't you guys just stay out of our business?"

"Because you guys keep hurting each other." Sakura said softly.

Sasuke scoffed and took the reins from Ino's hands, "I'm heading back, you can come back whenever; I don't care."

He mounted and sent Sanis off at trot, while thunder sounded overhead.

\-------

Sasuke led Sanis through the woods, letting her pick the path that she wanted. Dusk had fallen quickly, making it hard for him to find a suitable path and he could barely focus as it was. The only thing he kept seeing was the fear in Naruto's eyes after he blurted out those words, the fear of rejection; and yet he hadn't gone after him. He cursed at himself for letting his emotions get the better of him that time, but the blond couldn't see that he didn't like it when Sai hung all over him, and he didn't know how to tell Naruto that.

He felt Sanis hesitate as the wind picked up and they neared the stream. "Come on Sanis, we've been through this thing hundreds of times now." He stated and pushed her forward.

The mare planted her feet stubbornly and tossed her head up, clearly not wanting to go. Her ears were flat against her head as he kept urging her forward and she squealed with unhappiness.

Sasuke grunted and lead her away from the stream, if he couldn't get her to cross it, he would have her jump it. Signaling for a canter, he counted the strides as they approached the bank, and then asked for her to jump.

The mare ducked her head as they approached the riverbank and darted off to the side, catching Sasuke off guard. He cursed as he fumbled to grab hold of the mane, but his fingers grabbed air as he slid off the saddle for the second time that day. Only this time, he felt a sharp pain in his ankle when he landed on the ground and rolled away from the mare. He glanced up in time to see Sanis snort and wheel away at a canter.

He cursed and stood up to chase her down, but pain shot up his leg, making him drop back down again. He looked up as something wet hit his hand and more raindrops started to fall on his face, soaking his body in seconds.

Karma was a bitch.

\------

Naruto buried his face in the pillow as the storm picked up outside. He let out a groan as he remembered telling Sasuke how he felt about him and cursed at himself for letting his anger get the better of him. The past few weeks had been going so great and he just ruined everything by spilling that little bit of information.

He listened as Sakura and Ino passed by his room, "The weather man said that it's supposed to storm all night long, we should make some popcorn and watch a movie to help pass the time before we go to bed."

Their voices tapered off as they closed the door to the extra bedroom. Iruka had insisted that both girls stay the night because of the storm and Naruto had to clean out the spare bedroom an hour earlier. He glanced out the window where another bolt of lighting danced across the sky and the wind and rain picked up strength. The creek would be swollen tomorrow, there was no way Sasuke could get Sanis to cross it; if he even wanted to come back.

His phone vibrated on the nightstand table, making him jump. "Hello?"

"Naruto, is my brother with you?"

"Itachi?" He asked and looked at the number again, recognizing it as the Uchiha's house number, "Uh, no, he left about an hour ago." He felt his throat constrict, "Is, is he not back yet?"

"No, I thought that he was staying with you to wait out the storm and he doesn't have his phone with him." Naruto could hear the faint worried tone in the older brother's voice.

"I'll call you right back." Naruto said and quickly jumped off his bed and grabbed a backpack. Images of Sasuke lying hurt on the forest floor flashed through his head as he stuffed some towels and a jacket into the bag. He rushed down the stairs and slipped on his boots, then snatched a raincoat from the rack.

"I'll be back Gaara." He called and flew out the door.

Gaara watched the door slam shut and he yelled out, "It's pouring outside you idiot."

Naruto ran through the fields down to stables, pausing only when he saw white move against the black background. He stared at the shape a little longer as it approached closer and he realized it was Sanis; and she was rider less. She pranced in spot as he tried to calm her down, but the storm had her worked up. The whites of her eyes were showing even after he calmed her down and she was shaking as he led her back to the barn.

He stripped her of her wet tack and dried her off as best he could before throwing a blanket over her body. He dialed Gaara's cell number as he picked up Tricksters tack and led the gelding to the crossties. "Gaara, can you come down to take care of a horse for me. I'll take care of the rest when I get back, but I don't want her to catch cold right now. Thanks, I owe you."

Once the Quarter Horse was saddled, he clipped his helmet on and sent the gelding out at trot. The rain stung his face as they moved into a slow canter and he allowed Trickster to pick the speed and path as they headed toward the forest area. They slowed down when they reached the trees and Naruto clicked the flashlight on, trying to find fresh hoof prints. After finding only smudges, he decided to follow the stream for a while and work from there.

He listened to the thunder as it crashed overhead while another bolt of lighting flashed across the sky, lighting up the entire tree filled area. Trickster's ears perked forward and he moved to the right, nostrils flaring as he tried to catch the smell. Naruto strained his eyes to see what the horse was looking for, and then the movement near a tree caught his eye.

"Sasuke." He said softly.

He jumped down and walked up to the limping figure. Their eyes meet briefly before Sasuke looked away and Naruto scoffed, "You tried to make her jump the stream, didn't you?"

"Shut up and help me find Sanis."

"She's back at our stables, come on, your shaking."

Naruto reached for his backpack and handed him a towel. Sasuke took it and wrapped it around his shoulders before turning to look at him, "I thought you were mad at me."

"Can we talk about this when we get back?"

"Fine, but first," He reached forward, grabbed Naruto's chin and pressed his cold lips against Naruto's warm ones, "Thanks for finding me."

He limped over to Trickster and mounted carefully, then led the horse over to the stunned blond. "Come on." Naruto numbly grabbed his hand and climbed up in front of him. Sasuke wrapped his arms around the other jockey, "Are you cold? You're shivering."

Naruto shook his head and pressed his heals into the geldings side, let him lead at an easy trot. He felt Sasuke rest his head on his shoulder and he suppressed the shiver that wanted to run through his body. Sasuke's body was slowly warming up and his hot breath ghosted over his ear, making it hard to concentrate, but he managed to focus until they reached the stables. He dried the horse off while Sasuke hobbled down the aisle to check on Sanis.

After making sure the horses were settled, they slowly made their way up to the bunkhouse. It was quiet when they entered and all the lights were off. The clock showed that it was close to ten and he guessed that everyone was already in bed. He pushed Sasuke upstairs and shoved him into the bathroom, telling him to take a warm shower while he got some ice for his ankle. He pulled out some sweats that were too big for him and set them on the counter before he changed into something dry himself.

By the time he came back with the ice, Sasuke was dressed again and was toweling his hair off. He tossed him the phone, "Call your brother and tell him that you're staying here tonight."

Sasuke grunted but called his brother anyway while Naruto wrapped the ice pack around his ankle. He hissed slightly at the pressure and leaned back against the bed when Naruto finished and set the wrap aside. "Aren't you going to shower, you're still shaking."

"I'm fine."

Sasuke scowled and grabbed his wrist before dragging him down to the ground, "What's wrong?" He asked, as his arms wound around the tanned torso, pulling him closer to keep the blond warm.

Naruto was silent before answering slowly, "Why did you kiss me back there? Are you just messing with me?"

Sasuke sighed and laid his head on Naruto's shoulder, "Did it bother you?"

"…No."

"Then why are you upset about it?"

"Because it doesn't mean anything to you, you're just toying with me. You have no idea how much it means to me."

Sasuke reached forward and grabbed Naruto's chin again, forcing him to turn and face him, "Did it ever occur to you that I've fallen for you too?"

Blue eyes widened, "Wh-what?"

Sasuke chuckled and brushed his lips against Naruto's forehead. "You heard me."

Naruto was silent, "Are you serious?"

"Why would I lie about something like that? It may have taken me a while to realize it, but I don't want anyone else to take you away; why else would I get upset when Sai touched you."

When Naruto didn't answer, Sasuke felt his face fall. If there was one thing he did not want, it was for Naruto to reject him or tell him that he was already seeing someone else; namely Sai. There was a soft noise and it took a moment for Sasuke to realize that Naruto was laughing.

"So you were jealous of Sai."

"What was I supposed to think? You clung all over him today and it always looks like you enjoy his attention."

Naruto shook his head, "He was just telling me today that Tsunade said our mare was pregnant with Kyuubi's foal and she was doing fine. He had the papers that showed the results and gave me ownership of the foal when it is born. I've told you over and over, I don't like Sai that way," he hesitated and finished softly, "Only you can make me feel this way."

Sasuke smiled softly and pressed his lips against Naruto's, and it took a second for the shocked blond to respond to the kiss. It was quick and chaste, leaving them wanting more, and Sasuke pushed Naruto to the ground before attacking his lips again, the months of pent up desire finally flowing free. Their teeth clacked together and Naruto gasped as Sasuke sucked at his bottom lip, asking for entrance.

He opened his lips, allowing Sasuke's tongue to dart into the warm cavern. Their tongues fought for dominance before he let Sasuke control the kiss before he felt the need for air. He squirmed a little, and Sasuke seemed to understand, as he pulled away, with a trail of saliva connecting them.

They gasped for air and Naruto felt his breath hitch as he felt Sasuke suck at his neck, then nip at the skin. He let out a mewl as he kissed the abused skin and trailed more kisses down his neck, stopping to suck the exposed skin on his collarbone.

Sasuke pulled back and looked at the marks he made on the panting blonde; lets see Sai try something now. The breeder would find himself missing something very important if he ever laid a hand on his blond again. He brought his lips down again to Naruto's mouth and felt himself drowning Naruto's unique taste that he could not seem to get enough of. He felt the younger male shiver under him as he pressed his body against Naruto's smaller frame.

They broke apart again for air and Sasuke smirked at Naruto's appearance. His lips were swollen and red, and he was covered in bite marks. He sucked one last time on his earlobe before pulling Naruto up against his chest. He panted against Sasuke's chest, making him shiver as his breath danced across his bare chest, and Sasuke ran a hand through the blond hair as blue eyes slowly started to droop. Sasuke let out a sigh and placed the blond on the bed, stripping him off his pants.

Naruto let out a voice of protest at the lack of pants, but Sasuke covered his mouth one last time and his fingers played across Naruto's chest. Naruto arched into the touch and Sasuke smirked as he broke the kiss and moved his mouth down to the tanned neck, determined to show Naruto his feelings.


	15. Passion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemon in this chapter. First one I ever wrote haha

_(Five months later)_

Sasuke let out a yawn as he walked down the steps. He had stayed the night again at the Eclipse farm after a tiring day of training with his blond haired lover. A smirk crossed his face as remembered the morning after that rainstorm all those months ago. The only thing he regretted was not being downstairs with Naruto when everyone first found out.

His stomach growled loudly as he made his way into the kitchen. An eyebrow arched when he looked at the messy countertop and wondered who else was up this early. The front door shut quietly behind him and he spun around to see a brunette with mess hair and brown eyes entering the living room area.

“You’re up early.” The brunette said.

“Who are you?” Sasuke asked bluntly.

The brunette fixed him with a pointed stare, “You can’t tell who I am, Uchiha?” Sasuke shook his head, wondering how this person knew his name. “Good, then this disguise will work out fine.” 

A hand reached up to pull a brown wig off, revealing fiery red hair and it took Sasuke a moment to realize that it was Gaara. He moved out of the way as the jockey glided into the kitchen and began packing the contents on the countertop into a large bag

“Going somewhere?”

Gaara nodded, “Jiraiya has a lead on Orochimaru, and we’re going to go see if it’s true.”

“Does Naruto know?”

The red head shook his head, “No, and don’t tell him.”

“Why not? He’d be thrilled to find out that you’re going after him.”

“That’s just it,” Gaara stated, “We don’t know if he’ll be there or not. It could just be a wild goose chase and if he finds out that we couldn’t find him; again, he’ll be devastated.”

Sasuke was silent as the other jockey finished piling everything into the bag, “So why are you going?”

Gaara stood up and something flickered in his eyes, “Because it’s my fault that Orochimaru is after Naruto.”

“What do you mean?”

“Remember when he told you that I worked at a barn that used drugs on horses. I didn’t know it at the time, since the barn was run under a man named Kimimaro, but Orochimaru funded the barn.”

“You worked under him.” Sasuke stated.

“I told you, I didn’t know.” Gaara hissed, “All I was was a groom, I only looked after the retired horses. The drugs were inserted by other handlers and trainers.”

“And how does Naruto fit in with all this?”

“I’m sure he told you how we met,” Gaara started, “We were putting the horses up one day when we stumbled across the used needles. Naruto knew what they for since he competed, but I just thought they were vet needles. Next thing I know, Naruto dragged me to work with him here, and a few months later, the police arrested the owner. Kimimaro refused to give Orochimaru’s name to the police and he went to jail for his crimes, along with all the other handlers who were involved.”

“How did Orochimaru find out that Naruto was the one who told the police and not you?”

Gaara shrugged, “I was never there when the drugs were injected, so I wouldn’t have known, but Kimimaro recognized Naruto from his eventing days and put two and two together. Last time we saw Orochimaru before this stunt, was when he tried to have someone poison one of our horses.”

Sasuke was silent as his mind processed the new information, “Does he know that Kyuubi is still alive?”

“One would think so.” Gaara said, “But the likely hood of him attacking again is rare. He knows that we know who ordered the bump and the jockey was under his name, it was a big gamble on his part, one that he lost. He’s out of the country by now since the plan was unsuccessful, and it’ll be a while before he comes back again, if he even does come back.”

The red head glanced up the steps before looking back at Sasuke, “We don’t know how long we’ll be gone; Jiraiya thinks it’ll be about two to three weeks.” His eyes pierced Sasuke’s, who didn’t flinch, but stared back, “I’m going to tell you this now; I haven’t seen Naruto this happy in a long time, and if you hurt him in any way, I swear you’ll wish that you were dead by the time I finish with you.”

Sasuke nodded, “He’ll be fine with me.”

The red headed jockey grunted and grabbed his wig, “Tell him that I’m visiting family right now.” He stated, and then walked out the door, where a blue car was waiting for him. It pulled out of the driveway and then vanished as it pulled onto the road.

A silence fell over the bunkhouse as Sasuke wondered into the living room and dropped onto a couch. The clock above the entertainment center ticked away the seconds in the silence before he heard the soft padding of feet. He glanced around the sofa, drinking in the sight of Naruto shirtless and wearing pants that rode low on his hips.

“Morning S’uke.” He mumbled, kissing the pale temple before going into the kitchen for breakfast. 

Sasuke followed after him and wrapped his arms around the tanned waist, nibbling at his ear lobe. The blond protested and tried to get away from the antics of the older male, but he found himself trapped firmly in his grip.

“Sasuke stop, Gaara and Sai are still here,” he shuddered when Sasuke nipped at his neck when Sai was mentioned, “I don’t want a repeat like the first time.”

_Naruto stumbled down the steps the next morning, letting Sasuke sleep and rest his ankle, although the swelling had gone down. The thunderstorm had passed around three that morning, and the only reason he knew that, was because he was still up at that time._

_After Sasuke finally fell asleep, he had laid awake, staring at the wall and listening to the rain outside. He still couldn’t get his mind to wrap around the fact that Sasuke was sleeping next to him, holding him firmly against his chest while he slept. His heart was finally starting to calm down but he was certain that he had a permanent blush on his face._

_He turned over and lightly traced Sasuke’s chest, admiring the way the creamy skin felt under his fingers. Letting out a content sigh, he snuggled closer to the pale male, tucking his head under Sasuke’s chin, and finally falling asleep._

_When he had woken up that morning, he nearly had a heart attack after seeing Sasuke in his bed, and then the previous night came rushing back to him. He gave himself a hard pinch to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, and after biting his lip to keep in the shout of pain, he concluded that it wasn’t a dream and Sasuke sleeping next to him was 100 percent real._

_He slipped out of the bed, careful not to wake Sasuke and slipped some pants on. His stomach cried out in hunger since he had skipped dinner the night before and he now found himself moving down the steps and into the kitchen._

_“Good morning sleepy… what the fuck Naruto!!”_

_He glanced up at Sakura’s sudden outburst and noticed that the entire kitchen, which was loud on his way down the steps, had fallen eerily silent. The groom walked forward slowly, as if afraid to provoke him and he suddenly felt uncomfortable when he realized everyone staring at him._

_“What did you do to yourself?” she asked._

_“Huh?”_

_“Naruto,” Ino said slowly, “Are those, bite marks?”_

_Sakura peered closer, “No, there, oh my gosh; those are hickeys!”_

_“Wha?”_

_A mirror was shoved in his face and his eyes widened as he noticed the large hickeys and bites on his neck and upper torso._

_“Agh!!”_

_Gaara looked over the markings, “Someone was being possessive last night.”_

_Everyone turned to look at Sai, who was smirking as Naruto sputtered out incoherent words. Finally, he was able to form a sentence and managed to squeak out, “It wasn’t him.”_

_“Then who?” Ino demanded._

_A pale hand snaked around his waist and pulled him against a warm chest. Soft lips kissed the side of his neck where a large bruise was apparent before he heard a smug voice answer, “I did.”_

_“It seems Sasuke went on a marking streak last night.” Gaara commented, as a blush over took Naruto’s face, while Ino and Sakura squealed in delight. The sound of the chair being pushed back jolted everyone’s attention toward Sai._

_Sasuke unconsciously pulled Naruto closer to him and he glared at Sai as he stalked closer._

_Sai smirked at the Uchiha and draped an arm over Naruto’s shoulder, then leaned forward to whisper in the tan ear, “Call me if you’re ever in the mood for a threesome.” He pulled away with a large grin plastered over his face, knowing that Sasuke had heard as well. His suspicion was confirmed as he narrowly dodged the pale fist and heard Naruto yelling at him for even thinking that._

Naruto glared at Sasuke as he poured syrup over his waffles, “They still tease me about that, and it’s been like five months!” 

“Does it bother you that you’re dating me?”

“What? No, of course not.”

Sasuke smirked, “Then it shouldn’t matter what they think.”

The blond was silent as he took a bite of his breakfast and glanced around the empty kitchen. “Where’s Gaara? He’s normally up by now.”

“I saw him this morning, he said he was going to go see family and didn’t want to wake you.” Sasuke lied smoothly.

“Jerk, I would have liked to say bye at least.” He answered, shoving some more waffle into his mouth, before gulping down some milk. “Come on, it’s supposed to rain later today and I need to exercise some colts. We’ll give Sanis a break today, and, why are you staring at me?”

Sasuke leaned forward to lick off a drop of syrup that was on the side of Naruto’s mouth. “Everyone is off today and we’re all by ourselves; you know what else we can do besides train?” He asked huskily.

Naruto took a step backward, “N-no.”

A kiss was placed on the tanned neck while a pale hand slid down Naruto’s chest. Naruto looked up into the dark eyes that were filled with lust. He hissed as Sasuke sucked on his earlobe while the hand trailed down towards his stomach. The blonds breath hitched as the hand stopped above his waistband, emphasizing what it wanted and he squirmed slightly, “Sa-Sasuke, wait, I,”

Sasuke was about to answer when the door slammed open. Both jockeys turned toward the open door where Kakashi was standing in the doorway with, what they assumed, was a smile on his face. “Hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.”

“Why are you here Kakashi?” Sasuke snarled.

“Oh, that. Well you see, your brother wanted you to come home, but you won’t answer your phone so he sent me to come pick you up.” Kakashi stated, then gestured with his finger, “So, come on Sasuke, come on.”

Sasuke growled but placed a quick kiss on Naruto’s forehead before he stalked to the door, “Don’t call me like a fucking dog.”

The door slammed shut and Naruto slumped to the floor, allowing his head to lean against the cabinets, “Damn.”

\--------

“Itachi!” Sasuke yelled out and stormed through the large house, “Where the hell are you?”

A calm voice called his name and Sasuke quickly found his brother sitting in his study working on the computer. “What’s the matter little brother?”

Sasuke resisted the urge to strangle Itachi and instead glared at him. “You drag me away this morning and you have the balls to ask, ‘what’s the matter’? I was this close.” Sasuke held up his fingers to emphasize his point, in which Itachi just arched an eyebrow, “This close to taking Naruto.”

“And you chickened out?” Itachi asked.

“What? No I didn’t chicken out.”

Black eyes leveled with equally black eyes and Sasuke twitched under his brother’s glare, “I hope you’re not doing anything stupid Sasuke.”

“Like what?”

“Like forcing him to bend to your selfish demands.” Itachi stated and now Sasuke flinched, “Did you ever think that he’s scared or nervous? Don’t make him do something that both of you will regret, you won’t like the outcome.” The elder Uchiha waved his hand, “That’s all; enjoy the rest of your day.”

Sasuke turned and left without another word, but his mind was in turmoil. Itachi had successfully shaken him to the core, and he had to take a moment to sit down and regain his composure. His mind flashed through this morning when he had pinned Naruto against the counter and tried to have his way with him. All anger at his brother completely vanished as he remembered seeing the panic flash through those blue eyes.

He let out a shaky breath and stood back up. If Naruto was scared and wanted to wait, he could as well. There was no way he would do something stupid like that and loose him.

\-------

Naruto’s body was focused on the colt in front of him, but found that it was becoming increasingly harder to keep his mind fully focused. Finally, he pulled the colt down with a sigh and took him back to the stables. Normally working with the horses helped to take his mind off problems, but this one kept coming back.

He wanted Sasuke to be happy, he really did, but how could he tell Sasuke that he was scared?

Sasuke always seemed so confident in this whole relationship thing, but he was still new to it. Sure, he wanted to go further, but he was nervous. This was something that he had never done before and he didn’t know what to expect, what to do.

All the what if’s bombarded his brain until it gave him a headache. He found his way to Kyuubi’s stall and let himself in, quickly finding peace with the red chestnut. The colt sniffed at his hair for a moment, before Naruto reached up to stroke his nose, allowing him Kyuubi to butt his hand playfully. He let out a sigh and lay down in the thick bedding while Kyuubi stood next to him, keeping guard over his human.

\-------

Sasuke wondered through the bunkhouse looking for Naruto. The pastures were filled with horses grazing, but no blonde-haired jockey was seen training and now it seemed that he wasn’t to be found in the house either.

“Looking for Naruto?”

Sasuke spun around and growled when he saw Sai lounging on the couch reading a book. “What are you doing here?”

“I live here. If anything, I should be asking you that question; you don’t live here, let alone work here, yet I find you here constantly. More importantly, I find you constantly in my friend’s bed.”

“Jealous?” Sasuke asked.

The breeder shrugged, “Of you, no. Of your position you’re in, maybe.”

“You care for him as well.”

“I’ll tell you this now, if you hurt him, I’ll be there to pick up the pieces, and I won’t let him get hurt again.”

Sasuke glared at Sai, “I won’t hurt him.”

“Good.” Sai stood up and his voice softened, “But I let you in a secret, he’s probably nervous, he’s still a virgin and doesn’t know what to expect.” He reached into his pocket and tossed something at Sasuke. “Remember that and be gentle with him, if you hurt him in anyway…”

“I know, you’ll kill me.” Sasuke finished.

Sai smirked and walked away, “Look in Kyuubi’s stall.”

Sasuke tucked the item into his pocket and strolled down to the stables. He quickly found the red chestnuts stall and looked over the stall door carefully. 

The colt flattened his ears against his head and snorted a warning at his arrival. Sasuke frowned until he noticed the sleeping figure on the ground behind Kyuubi, and he had to let out a small laugh. Even Kyuubi was warning him not to harm Naruto.

He pulled away from the stall door, deciding to let Naruto sleep; he had other things to do.

\--------

The sun was setting by the time Naruto woke up. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and then glanced at Kyuubi who was still standing next to him. The colt nickered and nudged him, making the blond laugh. 

“I know, you’re hungry.”

He stood up and brushed the bedding off his body before moving toward the feed room. His stomach growled as he separated out the feeds and he quickly stacked the buckets in a wheelbarrow before he headed back into the barn. Sai must have stopped by during his nap because the horses were already in their stalls, waiting patiently for their dinner.

He checked their water troughs as he poured the feed into the bins. They plunged their noses into the bins and soon the barn was filled with hungry munching noise, making his stomach rumble louder. He rubbed his stomach as he locked the side door and made his way up to the bunkhouse, trying to think about what to make for dinner. If Gaara was gone, then it would just be him and Sai tonight, and Sai didn’t like to cook.

The door creaked softly as he opened it, letting the soft light shine onto the front porch, and he realized that he wouldn’t need to make dinner tonight.

\----------

Sasuke was by no means a romantic. Hell, when he heard about the things people did for their significant other, he laughed.

But here he was, sitting in the Eclipse bunkhouse, waiting anxiously for Naruto to come back. He had sacrificed his pride and asked Ino and Sakura for help, which resulted in the loss of hearing for about a minute. When the two females had finally settled down enough to talk, they had started launching ideas at him, and it wasn’t until Ino mentioned that Sasuke could cook, did they finally settle down with something.

Yes, he could cook and he was pretty damn good at it too.

While originally he scoffed at the idea, he couldn’t see Naruto being comfortable in an up scale restaurant, so he listened to the female mind and decided to make dinner for the two. Cliché and sappy, but Uchiha Sasuke was no romantic, and this was the best it was going to get.

After finding out the blonds favorite foods (besides ramen of course) from Sakura, he started making dinner, ignoring a smirking Sai as he left for the night. He finished by the time the sun was setting and had to admit that he was pleased with himself. Now all that was left to do was wait for Naruto.

He didn’t need to wait long and soon enough, the door squeaked open, leaving a stunned blond standing in the doorway.

“I thought you went home?”

Sasuke rolled his eyes, “Thanks, I feel welcomed now.”

Naruto smiled and walked forward, allowing Sasuke to pull him into a hug, “Sorry, I’m glad your back.” He glanced over Sasuke's shoulder and asked slyly, “Sasuke, is this your way of trying to be romantic?”

Blue eyes danced in amusement as a blush appeared on Sasuke’s face as he led them to the table, “No. This is my way of being romantic.” He answered, placing a chaste kiss on Naruto’s lips, “This” he gestured to the table, “Is my way of saying sorry.”

Naruto cocked his head, “For what?”

“This morning.”

“Oh,” was the answer before Naruto smirked and poked at Sasuke’s side, “Did you make this, or did you get some fancy take out?”

Sasuke grunted and sat down, refusing to answer the question. The younger male glanced towards the kitchen and noticed the dishes that were stacked in the sink, then back to the table before he sat. The dirty dishes told him the answer already and he couldn’t help but smile at the gesture. They didn’t bother to sit across from each other as most couples would (spending the whole night staring into each others eyes), instead, Sasuke sat at the head of the table and Naruto sat down next to him on the corner.

Turns out, Naruto wasn’t a romantic either.

They were both fine with the fact that there was no candle light to throw shadows on their faces, and the other small details that was missing from most romantic dinners. No fancy tablecloth covered the table, no music or expensive Champaign was present, but it didn’t bother either male. Instead, they enjoyed each others company, along with the occasional banter that escaped from their mouths.

“Sasuke, that was really good, I didn’t know you could cook.”

“Don’t expect it again.” Sasuke answered.

They took their dishes to the sink and rinsed them off before loading the dishwasher. When they finished cleaning up the kitchen area, Naruto leaned forward, giving Sasuke a quick kiss on his cheek, “Why are you sorry for this morning?”

Sasuke looked uncomfortable for a moment, “Because I was trying to force you to do something you didn’t want to do. I never took in the time to think you might now want this.”

Naruto humph-ed slightly before pressing his lips against Sasuke’s. It took a moment for the surprised male to respond, but he quickly pressed back with equal vigor, his hand finding itself tangled in blond locks. He slipped his tongue into the blond’s mouth, sucking on the wet muscle, earning a whine from Naruto.

He pulled away after a moment, a thin trail of saliva connecting them as they panted for breath. Naruto took the opportunity to lean forward and nip the pale ear, before tracing it lightly with his tongue, making Sasuke shiver.

“God Naruto,” he panted as the blond sucked on his neck. It seemed that Naruto didn’t know what he was doing to his body, and it took every ounce of his willpower not to ravish the blond, “St-stop it.”

Naruto pulled away, confusion etched into his eyes, “I thought you wanted this Sasuke.”

Ebony eyes took in the swollen lips and tinted cheeks and he forced his body to calm down. “I do, but I you, I don’t want to force you into something you don’t want.”

“Sasuke, you’re not forcing me into anything,” Azure eyes darted to the side before coming back to meet Sasuke’s eyes again, “I want this, I really do, but I’m…I’ve never done this before.”

Sasuke pulled him into a kiss and when they broke apart he asked, “Nervous?”

A blush settled across Naruto’s cheeks, “I don’t know what to do.”

Sasuke turned towards the stairs and pulled at Naruto’s hand. Naruto followed after him, heart racing as they neared his bedroom and Sasuke pushed him against the door, “I’ll show you.” He said huskily and turned the doorknob, making the blond stumble into the small room. “And I’ll make sure you feel nothing but pleasure.”

Sasuke tugged Naruto’s shirt off as he pushed him onto the bed, before climbing on top of him. He glanced down at azure eyes and kissed his forehead, “Don’t be nervous, nothing you do will disappoint me.” He whispered softly, before dropping down to capture Naruto’s pink lips.

Sasuke’s tongue darted into Naruto’s mouth, letting their tongues fight for dominance before he took control of the kiss and started to explore the moist cavern, intent on mapping out every detail like never before. He coaxed Naruto’s tongue into his and the blond eagerly followed, and their tongues danced in their mouths as they explored each other. They pulled away when the need for air became too great and Sasuke trailed kisses down the blonds’ neck, pausing to nip the juncture between the neck and shoulder, making Naruto shudder.

His mouth continued to map a course down the tan body towards dusty nipples and he sucked on the bud as his fingers teased the other one. Sasuke heard Naruto let out a whine and the sound sent shivers through his body and he knew that he was doing something right. He bit down on the pert bud, drawing another mewl from the blond before he felt a tug at his hair.

When he glanced up, his eyes locked with lust-filled eyes and Naruto reached down to tug at his shirt, “Why am I the only one half naked here?”

Sasuke smirked but allowed Naruto to sit up and pull his dark shirt off. He felt himself falling backwards before he looked up to see Naruto straddled his hips. He shyly trailed his fingers down his pale skin, “God Sasuke, you’re so perfect.” He whispered huskily as his fingertips traced Sasuke’s abdominal muscles, watching them twitch under his touch.

Sasuke squirmed; Naruto was getting a little too close to his ticklish spot, and the light touches to it were doing nothing to help his growing arousal. He let out a groan as the fingers brushed against the ticklish skin, making Naruto grin and lean over to whisper, “Did you like that Sasuke?”

Sasuke bit back the groan that threatened to escape and flipped Naruto over so his back was once again pressed into the mattress. He smirked down at the dazed blond and allowed his fingers to drag lazily down the blonds stomach, watching in amusement as Naruto squirmed under the touch, “What’s the matter, Naruto,” he mimicked, his warm breath ghosting across Naruto’s ear. “Ticklish?”

The blond shivered and Sasuke smirked as his mouth descended on the ticklish skin, making Naruto writhe. “Sa-Sasuke stop it.” He moaned, and Sasuke reluctantly pulled away after placing one last kiss on the spot before trailing his tongue instead to Naruto’s navel. He nipped at the skin, before allowing his tongue to dip into the fleshy hole. He swirled it around the small dip, pleased when the blond let out a mewl of pleasure and his hands found the button to Naruto’s pants.

With the other male distracted, he quickly popped the button and pulled the pants off in a quick movement, making Naruto cry out at the sudden lack of warmth. He placed a pale finger at the top of the blue boxers and pulled the elastic band down a little, revealing little blond curls and a bulge in the material. He glanced up at Naruto, whose face was red from embarrassment.

He placed his palm on the erection and pressed against it, watching his lovers face carefully. He smirked as Naruto gasped at the sensation and took that as a signal to continue. His hand left the waistband and he moved his body so their erections pressed against each other and experimentally ground his hips against Naruto’s, making the blond buck up in response.

Sasuke hissed at the friction and drew Naruto into another fierce kiss before looking down at him, “Are you sure?” He asked as his fingers curled around the top of Naruto’s boxers.

Cerulean eyes glanced up at him and his fingers trailed down the slick pale chest, stopping at the black pants, before tugging them down. He gave a quick nod, “Yeah.” 

Sasuke kicked the pants off the rest of the way along with his boxers, freeing his erection from the constricting material, before tugging down Naruto’s blue boxers from his tanned legs. His eyes drank in the sight of his lover lying out underneath him and he unconsciously licked his lips, “You’re beautiful Naruto.”

The blond blushed at the comment and he muttered, “Stop staring bastard.”

Sasuke smirked and palmed the erection again, making Naruto whine and buck against the hand. Naruto’s breath caught in his throat when Sasuke grabbed the semi-hard cock. He gave a few experimental strokes to it, before he lowered his head down and flickered his tongue against the slit, smearing the pre-cum around the head. He ran his tongue along the length of the member, trailing his tongue up the length and along the thick vein, before he engulfed the pulsing member without warning. Naruto yelped in surprise but then gave a throaty moan at the warm sensation surrounding his member and tried to buck into it, but cool hands held his hips down.

He panted as he watched Sasuke’s head bob up and down and his hand found purchase in Sasuke’s hair, as he tried to keep himself grounded. The pleasure was becoming unbearable as the heat started to twist and churn in him, but as the pleasure started to mount, Sasuke pulled away, drawing a whine from the blond. 

“Aha.” He moaned incoherently, making Sasuke chuckle.

“Do you want more, Naruto?” He asked, tracing his finger down the curved back, drawing shivers from the younger male. He felt Naruto twitch as he brought his finger down to the blond’s tight hole and traced it lightly, “Is this what you want?”

“Y-yes.” He panted.

Sasuke reached down towards his discarded pants and grabbed the lube that Sai had given him earlier and popped the top, generous coating his fingers with the cool material. His fingers circled the small hole, teasing it lightly, as he laid his body on Naruto’s, placing kisses on his neck and chest before gently pushing in the first finger past the tight ring of muscles. He watched Naruto’s face carefully, making sure that the blond was doing all right. He did not want his blond to be in any unnecessary pain.

“Ah…” Naruto hissed quietly.

“You okay?”

Naruto squirmed against the digit before nodding, “It just feels, weird.”

Sasuke waited a little longer before sliding his finger in and out, allowing Naruto to get used to the feeling. He placed another kiss on his lips, before carefully sliding another finger in.

The blond bit his lip as the second finger slid in, feeling the slight sting but allowed Sasuke to continue. The fingers continued to move and he let out a sharp cry as they brushed against something; the bundle of nerves hidden deep within him.

“Sa-Sasuke, do that again.”

“This?” Sasuke asked and pushed his fingers against that spot again, making Naruto moan in pleasure. The sound sent Sasuke’s blood rushing south and he ground his erection into the mattress to help ease some of the friction. He carefully started to scissor the open, before focusing on keeping the blond distracted as he pushed the third finger in.

After deeming Naruto as ready as he could be, he removed his fingers, drawing a whine from the blond. He poured some more lube into his hand and coated his hard cock with a generous amount, hissing when the cool liquid came into contact with his hot flesh. He positioned himself at the entrance of the tight hole and once again looked toward his lover; looking for any hesitation.

Seeing none in those azure eyes and with a nod of confirmation from Naruto, he slid in slowly, gasping as the tight heat surrounded his throbbing cock. He took in a deep breath as he continued to push in slowly, trying hard to make sure that he was not hurting Naruto, and when he was finally sheathed, he forced himself to stay still so Naruto could adjust to his size.

“Fuck Sasuke.” Naruto hissed, “It stings.”

Sasuke looked down at Naruto’s face, taking in the pained expression and he quickly kissed him, murmuring soft words to him. Finally, Naruto opened eyes he had not realized he had closed and nodded to Sasuke.

“I’m fine.” He said and frowned when Sasuke still did not move. He rolled his hips forward and they both hissed at the movement, “Sasuke, move. Damn it…” 

Sasuke nodded and started to move. The pace started awkwardly, neither body seeming to move in time with the other, but as the pace continued, their bodies started to adjust to the rhythm and they started to move together in a sensual dance. Sasuke gripped the tanned hips as he set up a steady pace while trying to hit the spot that would make Naruto cry out in pure bliss. He shifted his hips slightly, going in at another angle and was rewarded with a throaty moan from Naruto, making Sasuke drive harder into his lovers body.

Sweat trickled down their bodies and Sasuke leaned down to capture Naruto’s lips, his hot breath fanning across the blonds’ face. Their slick bodies moved together as their climax started to build, each male feeling the tight clenching in the pit of their stomachs. Sasuke’s hand slipped between their bodies and grabbed Naruto’s neglected cock, pumping it in time with his thrust. Beneath him, Naruto was making incoherent noises as they pushed closer and closer to the edge and their thrust started to become more erratic.

Sasuke could feel Naruto’s inner walls clenching on his member and he heard his name leaving Naruto’s lips as warm liquid sprayed his hand. He thrust a couple more times before following after Naruto, spilling his seed deep inside the blond. His arms gave out on him and he dropped onto Naruto in a mess of sweat and cum. He shifted slightly so he didn’t smoother the smaller male and he rested his head on the tanned chest, listening to Naruto’s heart beat erratically as it came down from the recent high and the panting for breath.

Finally, he summoned enough energy to roll of his lover and grab his boxers so he could clean them off. He watched as the azure eyes lazily followed his movements and leaned forward to kiss the bruised lips as he pushed the sweaty blond locks out of Naruto’s eyes. Naruto flashed him a tired smile as he tried to keep his eyes open before Sasuke gathered him into his arms and pulled the blanket over their naked bodies.

Naruto curled into his chest and Sasuke wrapped a protective arm his waist, tucking the blond head under his chin. He waited until Naruto’s breathing evened out, signaling that the male was asleep before dropping one more kiss onto his lovers head and falling into a deep sleep himself.

\--------

It was late morning when Naruto finally woke up, aware of a heavy weight around his waist. A quick glance down to his body showed a pale arm wrapped around his waist and a blush covered his face as the previous night came back to him. He sat up in the bed quickly, only to let out a yelp as pain raced up his spin. There was a chuckle from the figure next to him and he looked down to see dark eyes watching him with amusement.

“Sore?”

“Bastard, what do you think?”

Sasuke smirked and shifted until he was behind Naruto. He placed his hands on the blond’s lower back, rubbing the skin gently, “I think we should skip another day of training.” He whispered into Naruto’s ear, then gave his neck a quick kiss.

Naruto snorted, “I can stand and instruct you, it’s not like I have to be on the horse; so get your lazy butt out of bed and get ready to train.”

The pale hands dropped from his back and Sasuke appeared in front of him, hand outstretched. “Come on, let’s shower and eat before we do anything.”

Naruto took the offered hand, climbing out of the bed and limped into the bathroom. “Don’t even think about doing anything.” He warned Sasuke as the water was turned on.

“Think about what?” Sasuke questioned. Naruto could hear the underlying humor in his voice, making him roll his eyes as he climbed into the shower and allowed the warm water to rinse off his body while he tried to keep Sasuke’s hands to himself.

\------

After the uneventful shower, the two jockeys finally made their way down to the kitchen; well, one walked with a smug look on his face while the other limped slightly. Sakura was waiting for them in the kitchen and was seething at the blond jockey for slacking off on his morning chores, making her do them. Naruto ducked behind Sasuke, trying to explain what had happened, but his words were coming out as little drabbles and his face was a brilliant shade of red.

“Judging by your face, I’d say the Uchiha was successful last night.” A voice said from the living room.

The trio turned to see Sai reclining on the couch, an amused smile on his face.

“Is it safe to say that our little blond finally got laid?”

Naruto sputtered while Sakura stared at the two jockeys. She raised her hand and Naruto flinched, expecting a punch of some sort, but the groom simply counted out something on her fingers. A look of realization crossed her face and she stomped her foot. “Damn it, why am I the only one who couldn’t make any money on this bet?”

“What bet?”

Sakura groaned and mentally kicked herself when she realized that she had said that aloud. She glanced at Sasuke and saw that he was focusing on her and some part of her knew realized that he knew what she was talking about. Suddenly a smile spread across her face, making Sasuke arch an eyebrow.

Wasn’t there a saying that the man who smiles when something goes wrong has thought of someone else to blame it on? 

“Ask your brother, he was the one who won this round.” Sakura answered.

“Sasuke, I don’t like that look.” Naruto spoke up as Sasuke narrowed his eyes, and then headed toward the door, “Hey where are you going? Sasuke, wait; murder is illegal!”


	16. Death of a Hero

Horse and rider moved in unison over the brightly colored jumps, clearing the fences with room to spare, before landing and bounding off to the next jump. Azure eyes critically watched the duo as they continued over the course; if they finished clear then he would get to tell the rider some new news. A smile spread across his face as they moved over the last jump and trotted up to him.

"That was good Sasuke."

Sasuke let his lips curl up in a small smile, but Naruto could see the excitement dancing in his eyes. "I was a little worried about the triple; we cut it a little too close." He admitted as he dismounted from the tall black horse.

Naruto nodded, "You'll just need to fix that, you can't make any mistakes in a few months."

"Why in a few months?" Sasuke questioned.

A smile stretched across Naruto's face as he shoved a paper into Sasuke's face, "I signed you up for the 56th Annual Kentucky Event." He proclaimed happily, "It'll be in about two and a half months, so you have time to get your hunt jacket re-sized and all that, plus I checked with Itachi and he said that you don't have any rides during that week either."

"Naruto, Sanis isn't ready for this event, she's just now going over the cavaletti, what makes you think she can jump anything in two months time?" Sasuke asked as his eyes rescanned the paper.

"You'll be riding Dark Angel for this meet, we have to get you back into competing and what better way to rebuild your confidence then on an experienced horse."

"I hate you."

Naruto leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss, "I love you too."

Sasuke grunted as they led the horse back to the stables. He was truthfully excited about the surprise Naruto gave him and could not wait for the Event; sadly, his training was to be put on hold for the next week. Black eyes glanced at the blond who was walking next to him with a small smile on his face and he let out a sigh, he did not want to leave.

"Naruto, did Itachi tell you about the rest of this week?" he asked.

The blond turned to him, "No, why?"

"My father is dragging us to see some of our other business; outside the horse world, and he wants us to see some of the companies. I'll be gone for the rest of the week."

Naruto snickered, "Have a good time with that. When do you leave?"

"Later tonight; I just now found out myself."

"So you get a small break in training," Naruto answered, shrugging his shoulders slightly as they released the gelding into the field, "When you get back we'll pick up where we left off."

Sasuke leaned down and placed a kiss on Naruto's forehead, "Sorry I have to leave you."

"Aw, don't turn into a sap Sasuke." The blond teased, "I can wait for you for a few days."

Sasuke smirked and opened his car door. As much as he did not want to, his mother was meeting him at the mall so they could go shopping for some new suits. She said it was supposed to take an hour, but knowing his mother, it would end up taking the rest of the day. He held back the groan at that thought and instead slid into the car, shutting the door behind him.

"I'll see you at the end of the week."

"Bring me back a souvenir." Naruto said with a laugh.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and started the engine, "Sure, I'll bring you back some personalized stationary from the hotel."

Naruto laughed again and waved as the car pulled away. He waited until it vanished from sight before heading back to the barn where he could spend some much-needed time with his colt.

The stable was warm as he walked down the aisle way, taking in the empty stalls with a small smile on his face. Sakura and Lee were loading the trailers today to take the yearlings to auction, while Iruka was calling dealers to look at some stock. As much as he hated to see the yearlings go, he knew that they would be sold to good homes and Iruka would pick up some high-quality horses.

Thanks to Kyuubi's stud fees, they had been able to pay off the vet bills rather quickly and while Naruto's heart balked at selling some of the horses, he knew it was just business. Iruka had kept two of the yearlings from their stock this year, but they were taking the other three with them to auction. If everything went as planned, they would be able to pick up three to four new colts with the money from selling the yearlings and Kyuubi's fees.

He passed the mares and paused to look at the large mare that was resting in her stall. She had been bred to Kyuubi eight months back and was due in a few months and he was excited for this birth. Not only because it was Kyuubi's foal, it was also his; Iruka had given ownership to him once they found out the mare was pregnant.

The blond continued towards the second stable and walked down the clean aisle to Kyuubi's stall. He grinned as he popped his head over the doorway, "Kyuubi, I have a carrot for you."

Azure eyes blinked when the horse did not move; normally, he would be prancing at the word carrot. He let himself into the stall and placed a hand on the colt's body, frowning at the abnormally hot coat. Naruto moved around Kyuubi and checked his feed, noting that it was untouched from the morning and he sucked on his lip in thought. Kyuubi had been fine the other day, prancing around in his paddock and trying to chase the wind.

He held his hand up to the colt's muzzle, frowning when he realized that it was running slightly. After wiping his hands on his pants, he let himself out of the stall and moved down the aisle to find Tsunade. She was giving the yearlings one more check before they were fully loaded and ready to go. He made his way to the trailer, hoping that the vet was still on the property, and when he heard her talking to Iruka he let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm not sure about it yet, but I would advise that you don't tell him until we're completely sure, she may turn out fine."

He paused in midstride as Iruka's voice answered Tsunade's, "I'll keep the paperwork in my office while we're gone and look over it when we get back. For Naruto's sake, I hope they both come out fine."

"Hey Tsunade." Naruto said as he walked around the building, interrupting the two. He quietly noted that they jumped silently and exchanged glances before the busty vet stepped forward.

"Yes Naruto?"

"Kyuubi seems to be running a temperature and has a runny nose; can you look at him before you leave?"

She let out a sigh of relief and nodded, "Sure, let me finish up here and I'll be right over."

Naruto nodded and walked away, leaving the vet to do her job. His mind buzzed though as he headed back towards Kyuubi's stall; there was something they did not want to tell him and it made him uneasy. He looked over the colt one more time, noting the dullness in the soft brown eyes and the lack of response from him. Gently placing his fingers on the feverish coat, he began to massage the muscles that rippled under the red coat, trying to keep Kyuubi at ease.

His fingers continued to move down Kyuubi's body as he waited for the vet and he murmured soft words to the colt. He had reached the other side of Kyuubi's body by the time Tsunade arrived at the stall and his eyes flickered up to glance at her before he continued massaging the colt's muscles.

Tsunade moved around Naruto as she listened to Kyuubi's heart and breathing patterns before taking his temperature. "Well, it's safe to say it isn't colic." She spoke up, "His stomach is grumbling like he ate bear."

Naruto arched an eyebrow at her and Tsunade laughed nervously before continuing, "To be on the safe side, watch him closely for the next few days and see if he shows any signs of colic. But for right now, I'd say he just has a small case of equine flu."

"But he's had all his shots."

"That doesn't always prevent them from getting it, same thing with humans." Tsunade answered, "I'll give you some Butazolidin to help bring down his fever and relieve some of the aches he may have. Other than that, I cannot do anything else but let it run out of his system. Make sure he's well hydrated and rested."

Naruto nodded as he followed the vet out of the stables and to her truck. She dug through the back of the vehicle and pulled out the small bottle of Butazolidin, then gave him instructions on when to administer the medicine. "I leave tonight for a vet convention a few hours south of here. I have a presentation to give so I can't back out of it, but give me a call anyway if something should happen and I'll try to get out as quickly as I can."

"Thanks Tsunade. How long should it take him to recover?"

"Normally horses take 21 days or so to recover, but I don't know how long he's had the virus, so it's hard to say; just let him rest." The vet slammed the truck door shut and they headed back to the barn. "I'll give him the shot now and we'll see how he does, then I need to finish making my rounds."

"What about, you know, his past?"

Tsunade frowned thoughtfully, "Hopefully the shots will keep it at bay, he's made it through all the others, and he should be fine for this one as well."

The jockey grunted as he let himself into the stall again and held the colt's head as Tsunade measured out the correct amount. Kyuubi's eyes rolled back to the vet when he felt the small prick on his skin, but otherwise ignored her. After pulling out the needle, she handed Naruto the medicine and let herself out into the aisle way again. He watched her go before filling up Kyuubi's bucket with more water and left the colt to sleep.

He trudged up to the bunkhouse and made his way into the kitchen, poking around the refrigerator for some type of nourishment. As he sat down to take a bite out of leftover pizza, he noticed the flashing button on the phone, indicating they missed a call. He leaned over to press the button and Gaara's voice filtered through the bunkhouse.

_"I'll be back in a day or two, unless I can get an earlier flight. See you when I get back."_

Naruto quickly finished the pizza and threw the box away before strolling down to the stables again. The yearlings were finally loaded and Sakura was checking over their equipment while Lee was packing extra bales of hay into the bed of the truck.

"Hey guys, Gaara called earlier and said that he'll be back in a day or two."

Sakura tucked a strand of hair that fell out of her ponytail behind her ear, "That means he'll get back around the same time we do." She eyed him, "Are you going to be alright staying by yourself for the next day or so?"

Naruto waved a hand, dismissing the question, "I'll be fine, and I've done it before. Besides, someone needs to stay and look after the farm while everyone is gone."

"As long as you have the stalls ready for the new stock that's coming in; Iruka thinks we'll be coming back with at least three new yearlings."

"I knew there was a reason Sai left so early." Naruto stated, "He hates having to do anything that doesn't deal with art or breeding."

Sakura giggled, "You'll be fine, enjoy yourself while we're gone. And be thankful you aren't stuck in a truck with Mr. Youthful over there for the next few days." She muttered under her breath.

"You'll be fine. But it still sucks to be you."

He dodged the punch aimed towards his head and laughed as he darted off to find Iruka. He found him attaching a smaller trailer to another truck they were bringing in case they bought more than the one trailer could hold. "Anything you want done this weekend?"

Iruka shook his head, "Just the normal chores, take any phone calls that may come in and write me notes on what the caller wanted." He glanced up at the darkening sky, "That should be about it. We'll be back in two days, around noon if traffic isn't bad."

"Before you leave you should know that Kyuubi came down with the flu. Tsunade prescribed some Butazolidin for him and told me he needs rest."

"At least you caught it early. If he seems to feel better tomorrow, take him out to his pasture so he can get some fresh air, which should help too."

Naruto nodded and Iruka climbed up into the cab, "I'll call you tomorrow night to let you know how much the yearlings went for at auction." He paused as he started the engine, "Try not to get into trouble."

The blond rolled his eyes, making Iruka chuckle and ruffle his hair. He shifted into gear and pulled onto the driveway where the other truck and trailer were waiting for him. Naruto watched them leave and waved slightly as the two trucks vanished down the driveway. A soft breeze blew over his body, making him shiver and he quickly shook his head. There were still chores that needed to be done before night fell.

\--------

Soft lips played on his face while whiskers tickled the sensitive skin. He raised a hand to swat the thing away, but it continued it assault, nipping lightly at his sun kissed hair. Eyelids finally opened only to be greeted with a face mere inches from his. He let out a yelp and rolled away from the face, resulting in him falling off the cot in an ungraceful manner.

"Too damn early for this." He grumbled as he pulled himself back onto the cot. There was snort from above him and he glared at the figure, "Don't laugh at me Kyuubi, or I might not take you outside later today."

The colt swished his tail at the remark and let out a loud whiney, which was followed by several others in the stable. With a sigh, the blond stood up and twisted his back, making it pop. His warm bed would have been much more comfortable than the cot he slept on last night, but he wanted to make sure that the colt slept peacefully during the night and did not develop a cough overnight. While it was uncomfortable, it was a small price to pay knowing that Kyuubi slept fine.

He went about his normal morning routine, feeding horses and letting them out for the day, before cleaning out the stalls. He decided to keep Kyuubi indoors until later on in the day when the weather was warmer and the morning clouds had burned off. After checking the colt's water and feed one last time, he strolled down to Iruka's office and munched on an apple he had grabbed. Hopefully the day would be slow and no one would call before he let Kyuubi out.

To help pass the time, he shuffled through some of the papers, reading the reports on the new stock Iruka was interested in and checking for potential jumping shows on the internet. As an hour passed without any sign of the phone ringing, Naruto spun around in the spinning chair a couple times, taking in the large office. Its walls were covered with pictures from Iruka's childhood as well as the past winners they had at the barn.

Naruto smiled at the one picture of Kyuubi when he was a little foal, barely two months old. They were both asleep when Iruka had taken the picture; he was propped up against the trunk of a tree and held Kyuubi's head in his lap while the sunlight danced through the tree leaves above. The one in Iruka's office was a copy; the original was in Naruto's room on the nightstand table.

He spun around a couple more time until he became dizzy and put a hand on the desk to steady himself, knocking off some papers in the process. "Alright, no more spinning." He said aloud and waited until the world righted itself again. When it did, he bent over to pick up the papers that had fallen and his hand paused over a folder labeled B. Dazzle. He placed it on the desk with the rest of the papers and tapped his fingers on the desk.

It could be considered snooping if he looked at the files, but B. Dazzle was carrying Kyuubi's foal and since he had ownership of it, he had every right to know what was going on. At least, that is what he told himself, but it did nothing to help him though as his heart started to race, and he opened the folder before he could back out.

Blue eyes skimmed over the results from yesterdays check up and he frowned at the words written. They were all vet terms that he could not understand, so he turned the page and found Tsunade's simple handwriting at the end of the report.

_'Ending conclusion: The loss of the foal is a high risk factor and all possible choices will be taken to keep the foal alive. The chances of losing both mare and foal are slim; it seems that the foal is at most risk, with an 85 percent chance of death. We will monitor the mare for the last few months of the pregnancy and save aborting the foal as a last case scenario if the mare's life becomes threatened. Chances of a possible still birth are also high.'_

Naruto put the paper back in the folder and stood up in a daze. He remembered the conversation between Tsunade and Iruka the previous day, the way they jumped when he had shown up and didn't say anything else on the subject. They didn't want him to know that B. Dazzle might lose her foal; Kyuubi's foal. The blond found himself in front of the mares stall and looked her over. She looked fine in his eyes, but he wasn't a vet and guessed that the problem was internal.

He pushed himself away from the stall and headed back towards Kyuubi's stall. The colt was waiting for him with his head hanging over the stall door and he pranced excitedly as he clipped the lead line on his halter. They made their way down to the pasture where he let him go and then sat on the railing, watching as he trotted around his paddock. He tried to push the thoughts of the mare from his mind but they would not leave him alone.

Kyuubi seemed to sense that he was not in the best of moods and nudged him on the shoulder, urging him to play. With a laugh, Naruto jumped off the railing and moved towards the center of the paddock, reaching out towards the colt and letting his fingers briefly brush against the red coat before the colt would shy away. He was careful to keep Kyuubi from over exerting himself and after half an hour of playing, left the horse alone to graze.

He made his way up to the bunkhouse and grabbed some books and food before heading back to the pasture. After he propped himself up against the railing, he watched the colt play with a butterfly and let out a small laugh before he opened the book and began reading.

\----------

It was late in the afternoon when Naruto led Kyuubi back to his stall. The colt had been acting restless for the past hour and hadn't taken it well when he left the paddock. He had paced back and forth along the fence, snorting unhappily until he came back, and even then, he continued to act strange. Naruto had been quick to check for signs of colic, but once again, the signs weren't there. It bothered him as he locked the door behind him and went about cleaning out the stalls for the new stock.

After the stalls were cleaned and ready, he listened to the messages on the office phone and wrote down some quick notes. The last message was from Iruka telling him that the yearlings were sold at a good price and they had picked up three new colts and a filly. He added that they would be leaving the next morning at nine and would be back by noon. Naruto erased the message and walked back into the barn. Night would be falling soon and he needed to feed the horses before he could relax more.

He made his rounds with the feed and stopped outside Kyuubi's door. The colt was lying in the bedding and small patches of sweat covered his coat. Naruto cursed and reached into the tack box next to the stall and pulled out the Butazolidin, measuring out the correct amount. He let himself into the stall, noting that the food and water hadn't been touched since he left and he bit his lip. Talking softly to the colt, he pinched the skin gently and pushed the needle in, watching as the liquid emptied from the needle.

"Come on Kyuubi," he said, "You need to stand up."

The horse let out a grunt but slowly shuffled to his feet as Naruto helped him up. His coat was hot to the touch and Naruto opened the door before leading him into the aisle. Kyuubi followed him slowly to the end of the barn where Naruto ran some luke-warm water and dropped a sponge into the bucket. He squeezed some of the water onto the colts legs, letting him know that he was about to get wet, before moving up the body.

Once the colt seemed relaxed again, he led him back to the stall and watched him sniff at the corners before nosing his bucket of food. Letting out a sigh of relief, Naruto left Kyuubi to eat so he could release the rest of the horses for the night. The weather was a little cool, but it wasn't cool enough to keep them inside. His stomach growled at him and he walked towards his truck. There was no food in the bunkhouse; well, there was, but he was too lazy to make anything.

Besides, Dairy Queen was calling to him.

\-----------

By the time he came back, the sun was starting to set and he turned the lights on in the barn. He set his drink down in the office and pulled out the sleeping bag from the closet, hoping that it would make the cot more comfortable. The blond shut off the office lights and made his way back to Kyuubi's stall, setting the sleeping bag on the cot before poking his head over the door.

His heart plummeted when he saw the colt leaning against the wall, breathing heavily.

_'He'll have a weak immune system for the rest of his life. It'll be a miracle if he makes it past his first year of life.'_

He remembered the cold uncaring words spoke to him three years back and they had plagued his dreams for the first few months of Kyuubi's life. Kyuubi had a weak immune system as a foal and the vet at that time had warned that it might affect him, as he grew older. Because of the weak immune system, Iruka and Naruto always made sure that the colt had all his shots to help prevent any sickness.

As the years passed though, it seemed that Kyuubi's immune system had gotten stronger as he lived through more than one cold in his life. Tsunade had warned though that the effects might not appear until he was older and it was another reason they wanted to retire him after the Belmont.

He looked at Kyuubi who swayed in the stall and he quickly stumbled in to steady the colt. Muscles shook under his touch and his sides heaved as he began coughing. A frown crossed his face; Kyuubi had been sick before, but never like this. It seemed as if the colt's body was giving up on itself.

_'The simplest of colds could destroy him at any time; it's best to put him down now and save him from the pain in the future.'_

But despite his arguments on how Kyuubi would be strong enough, they only answered with the same comment, _'One day you'll see that you can't live in this fantasy world where everything is fine. Death is part of this world; you better get used to it boy, its reality.'_

And reality hit hard.

His colt was dying.

He slowly slid down the wall as the truth of it finally settled in. No, it could not be happening; not his colt. God please not his colt.

A movement caught his eye and he jumped to his feet as Kyuubi started to lie down, "No, Kyuubi no, you can't lie down." He tried to keep the horse standing but Kyuubi's weight overpowered him and they dropped to the ground as his legs gave out on him, "Please, you have to get back up." He tugged at the colts halter but the chestnut sighed softly and did not budge. Tears threatened to overspill as he pulled the colts head into his lap.

It was then that he could see it; the pain in those dark brown eyes and his heart clenched at the sight. The horse let out a tired nicker, and he placed a hand on the red coat, "I'm here Kyuubi," he said, choking back tears, "I'm not going to leave you, I promised you that when we first met, remember?"

_'Kyuubi, do you still remember the first time we met?'_

_'Our first race together?'_

_'Our first win?'_

The colt flickered his ears towards the sound of his human, his mind not fully understanding the words, but he understood what his body was telling him. He had escaped death twice in his life, but it looked like he was not going to make it out of this one. He wished he could comfort the small human; tell him how much he enjoyed the time he spent with him, how much he was going to miss him. How he would miss running with him, playing with him in the large pasture, and racing the wind with him.

_'They danced out in the sunshine when he was younger, ignoring everyone else around them. They couldn't be separated; nothing could take them apart from each other.'_

Kyuubi blinked and shivered slightly as the familiar warm hands ran over his coat and something wet dropped onto his feverish skin. He knew it wasn't rain, he was inside and it didn't smell fresh like it normally did. No, this wetness had a smell of salt to it, salt and sadness.

His human was crying.

_'I'll never leave you Kyuubi; we'll prove to them one day that you can be as good as sire, even better.'_

"Hey Kyuubi, do you remember the first time we met?" Naruto asked softly as his hands continued to run over the warm body, "Everyone thought you were going to die that first night but you fought so hard to stand up and drink. I remember watching as you stumbled around the stall, trying to get to your mothers milk but you didn't give up."

He smiled at the memory. He could remember Kyuubi's birth like it was yesterday; the red coat still wet from birth and the scrawny legs trying so hard to stand for the first time to nurse. The way the vet said he was too small to make it through the night when the mare rejected him. The determination in the young foals eyes as he tried repeatedly to get closer to the mare, but each time the mare would snort and move to the other side of the stall. The same determination stayed in his eyes the entire night, until he finally dropped to the ground, crying out weakly for his mother.

Kyuubi felt his head touch the soft bedding as his human stood up and his eyes followed his movement. There were sounds that he didn't understand, but he knew that his human would be back and he let out a tired sigh.

Shaky hands punched in a familiar phone number and brought the device up to his ear. He listened to the phone ring twice before it went straight to voice mail and he bit his lip harshly, "Please Tsunade, pick up. Kyuubi's sick again and I'm worried about him and his past condition, please call me back."

He took in another deep breath to steady himself as he picked up a bucket and heated up some water. While it was heating, he poured some bran mash into the bucket and grabbed some blankets. When the water finished heating, he poured it into the bucket, mixing it with the mash. He pressed more numbers into the phone as he headed back to the stall, stride increasing as he neared the stall, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw the colt look up at him. He set the bucket down next to the wall and covered the horse with a blanket, then sat back down in the bedding and pulled the colts head into his lap before pressing the talk button.

The phone went straight to voicemail for this call and a familiar voice entered his ears before he cut the call. He didn't want to bother Sasuke at his meetings, but he would try again later, for now, he would focus on Kyuubi.

He swirled his finger around in the warm food and gently slipped it into the colt's mouth. "Just like when we first met, right Kyuubi?" He asked as the horses tongue washed over his finger.

\------

He remembered everything from the time he was born. From the harsh voices that stood outside the enclosure, to the way he had to fight for his first taste of food. He remembered dropping to the floor in exhaustion after chasing his mother around and he remembered how heavy his head felt, and that if could just rest for a moment, everything would be all right. It was only then that he felt his head being supported by cool hands and something warm was dripped into his mouth. He sucked on the fingers until the wonderful flavor was gone and was replaced with something else.

That was the first time he met his human and the first of many times that he stayed with him throughout the night.

His blond human stayed with him every chance possible, never leaving his side unless he needed to. If he needed to leave, there was another man that would take care of him with the same kind of gentleness that his human showed.

Thanks to their love and kindness, he grew from the sickly foal that no one thought would live that first night, to a healthy yearling.

He could still remember the first time frolicking in the grass. The way his human watched with a cheerful smile on his face and he realized that he wanted to play with him. So he nosed him off the rail he was sitting on and encouraged him to chase after him. And they danced in paddocks for hours like that each day; ignoring the other colts and humans that would stop to watch them in curious fascination, only focusing on each other as their dance continued.

Then his human showed him the wonders of running.

He had seen his human on other, older horses; working them on the track and he snorted with unhappiness as he watched from his small paddock. He wanted to work with his human too, and show him that the reason he lived was not just some fluke; but it was instead by his strength and will power that he was still alive today. However, there was a problem to his plan. It seemed that there were concerns about his health and the vet did not think he should run. He heard the soft words telling him that he could not run and he wanted to prove them wrong.

And he did.

The day his human took him under tack, they rode on a simple trail; one that he had seen the older horses running on. He ignored his human for the first time, determined to show him that he could run and he was not that sickly foal anymore. The muscles gathered under his skin as he took off with a leaping bound and picked up speed as they moved down the long trail. Wind whipped through his mane as he picked up more speed when he felt the pressure lift off his back and cool hands kneading along his neck.

He still remembered the words uttered to him when he finally stopped. He did not know what they meant, but he could hear the emotion behind the words, and he yearned to hear it again. It would be a while before he heard them again as they started his training for the first time, but the next time he heard them, there was more than just excitement in those words; there was pride.

It was at his maiden race that he heard those words again.

The smell, colors, and sound still invaded his memory when he thought about it. The way his body shivered with excitement when he chased down other colts besides his brothers on their track at home. The feeling of the track dirt under his feet for the first time and how everything seemed so different; so loud and frightening, that for a brief moment, he thought he would freeze up. But the cool hands of his human were always there; guiding him every step of the way, reassuring him that he was still there. He felt the way the excitement from the crowd raced through his veins and he wanted to run.

And he ran.

He beat out eight other colts for his first win and it was then that he heard those wonderful words again, filled with not just excitement, but unbridled pride and love. Together, they would continue to win more and more races until that day he stumbled. That day was filled with so much pain that it hurt to think about it, and it wasn't just the physical pain. It was the pain of knowing that he couldn't run again, he could tell by the expression of the vets face to the look on his humans.

And in that instant he feared that his human wouldn't want him anymore.

However, his human stayed beside him the entire time, like he did when he was younger; whispering words of encouragement and love. During the time that they were separated, he tried his best to behave and not fight the thing that was placed on his leg, and his efforts paid off when he was returned home; to his human. And even though he could not do any strenuous running, he still danced with the human every few days and he had never seen his human happier.

And at the end of the day, he would sit on the rail and they would watch the sunset as they had when they were both younger. His cool hands would rest on his shoulder, gently playing with his mane and whispering words filled with love and emotion.

Now he looked out of his stable window to a pink tinted sky and he remembered.

He remembered the green pastures growing up, the way the colors merged as the sun set and rose each day. The time when he was little and they all said he would never make it, and only one believed in him; helping him to pull through the challenges that were thrown at him everyday. They watched the sunrise and set countless times, and each time he would run his hand over his red coat and whisper, "One day; one day, we'll prove them wrong."

And they did.

They showed everyone that he wasn't the foal that should have died that night. They proved them all wrong and they were able to watch the sunrise and set in many different places; and he thought that it would last forever.

So why did this have to be his final sunset?

\-----

The colt opened his eyes and found blue ones staring back at him. It was dark outside, but inside the lights burned brightly, sending shadows dancing across the stables and onto his human's face, but never hiding the emotion etched onto it.

His body ached and he was so tired, but he didn't want to let go.

The feeling of cool hands on his body was comforting and he felt the tightening grip around his neck as his human gave him a reassuring squeeze, "I'm here for you Kyuu; I promise I won't leave you."

Naruto looked down at the pain stricken eyes and he once again fought against the tears; he would not cry; he would be strong for his colt. But the pain was still there and no amount of staying strong for his colt would take it away. He knew that Kyuubi was only fighting because of him, and in some twisted way, he felt happy at that, but at the same time, he knew that it was selfish. So he decided to do the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life.

He had to let Kyuubi go.

"Kyuubi," he started, voice cracking as the ears swiveled to his voice, "I know you can't understand, but I'm so proud of you, in everything that you've accomplished. You have been more than just my colt, you are my best friend; you have been with me through everything and know everything about me. I would not take back any of our time that we had together."

Kyuubi let out a soft sigh at the gentle words mixed with emotion and he wanted to let the human know that he was all right and he was not going to leave him.

"I promised, I promised you I wouldn't let anything happen to you." Naruto stopped for a moment to regain control over his emotions before continuing, "And I couldn't keep that promise. I am so sorry Kyuubi, I never wanted this to happen to you, and I know you are in so much pain right now and the only thing keeping you here is me. So, please, just this once, be selfish and think of yourself and let go. It'll feel better if you do, and I'll be right here till the very end; I won't let you di- go alone."

He pulled the colts head up to his chest, cradling it gently, and the ears flickered at the steady thump of his heart. "Please Kyuubi; I don't want you to be in any more pain." For a moment, their hearts beat in unison until Kyuubi's seemed to falter for a brief second.

Brown eyes locked with his again and they flickered with something that he could not identify, but he noticed them dulling slightly as the colts breathing became slower, but still stayed even.

"Please," he whispered, glancing up, "Let it be painless."

\-------

Every breath was heavy and it seemed that his lungs could not get the air in fast enough. His mind and body knew what was going on, but his heart did not want it to happen. He did not want to let go, but he was losing the battle.

However, he was not scared.

Because his human was with him, just like he had been throughout his entire life; holding and supporting him in every way possible, through all the difficulties life threw at him. And with his human; with Naruto holding him like this, he wasn't scared to let go. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, just to regain some more strength; ears cocked to hear Naruto's voice murmuring his name over and over again, but he could not understand why he sounded so panicked and sad; he was just resting for a while.

And he began to dream.

_He could feel the wind running through his mane along with the feather light touches of cool hands on his neck as they moved through the green covered fields. On the horizon, the sun was slowly dripping down to the ground, making the sky a beautiful red and orange color and sending shadows dancing along the trees. However, they did not stop racing the wind as they moved through the large field, and it seemed that neither wanted the feeling to stop, but he wasn't sure why._

_It was only when the sun was touching the horizon, that they stopped and the pressure disappeared from his back as a hand cupped his nose. And for a moment, they stood together, watching the sunset like they always did. He looked into familiar blue eyes and for the first time, he understood the words that flowed from his mouth._

_"I love you Kyuubi, and I promise that I always will, no matter where we are."_

_He looked at his human in confusion and he let out a nicker of concern, butting his shoulder. Naruto turned to him and smiled gently as he ran a hand over his forehead, "I'll stay with you until it's done, I promise. And maybe, maybe one day we'll see each other again."_

_It was silent for a couple more minutes until there was a sound he had never heard before, but his body seemed to recognize it and wanted to go towards the call. He turned and glanced at Naruto who simple smiled and waved him away, "Go on Kyuubi, they're waiting for you, and I can't be selfish anymore."_

_He cocked his head in confusion but the call came again and he felt himself being drawn to it. With one last look at Naruto, he turned and headed in the direction of the sunset where the call was coming from._

_It was odd, that the closer he got to the noise, the less pain he felt._

\-----

The ringing of the phone was loud in Iruka's office and after four rings, it clicked over to the voicemail.

"Naruto, my meeting just finished and I'm leaving right now. I should be there in about two hours."

But it was too late by then.

\-----

The heartbeat under his hand steady grew fainter and weaker, until the colt let out one last sigh and the beating finally stopped.

And it was only then that Naruto allowed himself to lean his head back against the wall and let the tears fall down his face freely.

\-----

Wind blew across the empty paddocks and fields, sending fallen leaves dancing across the grass. They caught around his feet for a moment as he shifted the contents in his hand and continued his way up towards the bunkhouse.

He hadn't called Naruto yet to let him know that he was back in town early and instead decided to surprise him. In his hand, he held the small gift that he had found while he was at the awful business meeting; a small horse sculpted from wood. He had found it in a small workshop on the edges of town, and he had asked the craftsman to paint it to look exactly like Kyuubi. He was quite pleased with his gift.

The trucks were parked in the driveway and he recognized the blue car that picked up Gaara two weeks ago and wondered if his trip was successful. He climbed the steps and knocked on the door to the bunkhouse. Sakura opened the door and for a moment, Sasuke caught the glimmer of hope in her eyes before it vanished when she realize who it was.

"Is Naruto here or down at the barn." He asked her.

Sakura bit her lip and held the door open, "I think you better come in Sasuke."

He raised an eyebrow at her but didn't say anything and followed her in. Four sets of eyes glanced up at him as they entered the living room and Sakura looked at Iruka. "He wants to see Naruto."

The room was deathly quite until Iruka spoke up softly, "Did Naruto call you at all this weekend?"

"No, my phone was off anyway. I haven't been in contact with him for the entire weekend. Why?"

"Sasuke," Iruka started, keeping eye contact with the coffee table, "Kyuubi died over the weekend."

He gripped the box tighter to keep himself anchored. He wasn't as close to the chestnut colt as everyone else was, but he knew what it was like to lose a horse. "How, how's Naruto doing?"

The tension in the room thickened before Iruka raised his eyes up from the table and it was only then that he noticed the redness in them and everyone else's eyes.

"Sasuke, Naruto's gone."


	17. Learning to Stand on your Own

It had been two months since Naruto had left and vanished without a trace.

Two months spent searching for any type of clue as to where he vanished to, only to come up empty handed. Half a month left until the jumping Event and a month until the first day of the racing season started into full swing again.

Two months, sixteen days, fourteen hours, eight minutes and twenty-three seconds. But who's counting?

Certainly not Sasuke.

If you told him that the day Naruto left, his mask of calm, cool, and collected broke; you'd end up with a broken nose if you were lucky. Because Uchiha Sasuke was not spending his days twirling his thumbs, wondering when his lover was coming back. No, he handled Naruto's leaving well, (if the room full of broken furniture was any indication) and he was spending his day's training for the upcoming event.

Overall, Sasuke was handling the current situation just fine.

"Sasuke, are you ready to leave yet?"

The sound of a book hitting the closed door was loud in the hallway where Itachi was standing, "I'm not going."

Of course, that's what Sasuke told himself, but everyone knew that Naruto's leaving had affected him much harder than he let on, and he was only kidding himself in saying that he was fine.

Itachi sighed and entered his brother's room, "Sasuke, we've been through this before, if you haven't found him by now, he obviously doesn't want to be found. We should respect his wish."

Sasuke glared at him, "It's easy for you to say." His voice trailed off, "You don't know how much I miss him."

Itachi highly doubted that. You had to be blind not to notice the changes that overtook his brother during the time he was with the blond. Sasuke's temper had mellowed down, and no longer were his thoughts consumed with beating everything that moved. It was a change that Itachi was glad Sasuke made, and even though it killed him to watch his brother suffer without the blond, Sasuke needed to move on for the day.

The elder Uchiha crossed the room in a few easy strides and captured Sasuke's chin, "I know enough." He said gently, "But just for today, I need you to focus on something else. Naruto wouldn't be happy knowing that you're beating yourself up over him."

"If he wants me to be happy, he should come back." Sasuke snapped as he jerked his head from Itachi's grip and started working with the tie around his neck.

Itachi watched him for a couple minutes before throwing another shirt at him. "Bring that with you; you might need it by the time the meeting is over."

"Why?"

The smirk that appeared on Itachi's face sent small shivers running through Sasuke's body.

"Trust me on this one Sasuke." He said and vanished from the room.

The car ride to the business was silent as Sasuke read over the files his father had given him. His father wanted to merge with this new up and coming business, one that Itachi had found himself; although he didn't site his sources. His father seemed very pleased with this company and wanted this merger to work out. And even though he didn't understand why they needed to come to this meeting, he was in no mood to argue with his father.

He set the papers down and stared out the window, his reflection looking back at him solemnly. The scenery flashed by and they soon found themselves leaving the tree lined roads and pulling onto the crowded highway. It had been two months since Naruto vanished and whenever his mind was quiet, it would drift back to that day and he could remember everything like it was yesterday.

_He felt his knees start to give out on him and Sakura quickly grabbed his arm, leading him to the couch._

_"What do you mean he's gone?"_

_"He's not here anymore, all his clothes and personal items are gone and his truck isn't in the driveway." Iruka answered._

_"No note?" He asked._

_"No." Gaara answered, "Tsunade received his call last night and made it here by seven this morning. She guessed that Kyuubi's time of death was somewhere between two and three in the morning. He had plenty of time between his death and Tsunade's arrival to leave. I came back around ten and Iruka and the others arrived at noon."_

_"He wouldn't, do something stupid, would he?" Sasuke choked out._

_"Suicidal you mean?" Gaara asked, "No, he wouldn't do anything like that."_

_They sat in silence for a while, listening to the clock tick and Sasuke looked down at the box in his hand. He never believed people when they said that the actions of one person could affect so many, and it was amazing how his mood had changed within moments due to this single piece of news._

_"Orochimaru did this, didn't he?"_

_"No." Tsunade spoke up, "I feared that at first too, but Kyuubi's blood had no traces of poison or toxin and Gaara informed me that they lost him in Russia the day the colt started to show signs. His death was of natural cause, something that we couldn't have stopped."_

Two months had passed since that fateful day he came back and heard the news that Naruto was missing. He had visited the police station that afternoon, asking them for any information on Naruto, but they had none. There were no reports of a blond haired, blue-eyed jockey either, and to his relief, no body had been found at the local hospitals.

While Gaara had suggested that Naruto might have vanished to clear his head, a week turned into two, two weeks turned into a month, and a month turned into two with still no sign from the blonde-haired jockey. The Eclipse stable had kept Naruto's disappearance from the media, knowing that it would cause only more trouble for them and Naruto.

He remembered staying the night in Naruto's room that first night, in some hope that Naruto would return home and he could hold him again, telling him that everything would be all right. However, when he woke up that next morning, there was still no sign of the blond, and as he looked around Naruto's room, he realized that he had left everything equestrian behind.

All of his books on training, trophies, news clippings and photos were still there, with no indication he even thought of bringing them. There was a single picture overturned on the nightstand table, and when Sasuke flipped it over, he found himself looking at a picture of Kyuubi as a foal sleeping in Naruto's lap. When he questioned Iruka about the picture, the owner bit his lip worriedly and said that it was one of Naruto's favorite pictures.

Sasuke finally left the farm and spent the day driving around trying to find the jockey, but his search brought up no leads. Disgruntled, he returned home and made his way to his brother's study. Itachi had found him sitting on the leather chair in the office, staring at the wall that afternoon and surprisingly enough, Itachi was the one who comforted him.

_"Sasuke, what are you doing?"_

_He looked up at his brother, "I knew I shouldn't have gone on that stupid trip with father and you."_

_Itachi looked at him, "Why?"_

_"Kyuubi died this weekend and no one was there for Naruto; now he's gone."_

_"And you staying here would have made Kyuubi live?"_

_"Shut up Itachi, you didn't know how close they were, you don't ride anymore; you probably don't even understand." Itachi's eyes flickered with something he couldn't place, but he brushed the thought aside and continued on "I should have been here for him, maybe then he would still be here. But you and father made me come; this is yours and fathers fault."_

_He felt the sharp sting on his cheek and it took a moment to realize that Itachi had slapped him, and was looking at him with hard eyes, "Don't blame me for Naruto leaving. And don't you dare say that I don't know how close someone can get to an animal." His eyes softened as he moved to sit down in the chair across from him, "I know you miss him Sasuke, but taking your anger out on me won't help bring him back."_

_"I still should have stayed."_

_"And what would you have done Sasuke. The colt was dying; you couldn't have saved him even if you were there. It's not your fault that Kyuubi died, and who's to say that Naruto would've stayed even if you were there. People do irrational things when their emotions are tangled and confused."_

_Sasuke looked away, shoulders slumping in despair, "That's why I'm worried about him, he has no where to go, nothing to lose."_

_"Sasuke, come here."_

_He stood blindly and stumbled into his brothers waiting arms, "I know you miss him and you're concerned for his well being, but Naruto is strong, he can take care of himself."_

_Sasuke held back the tears, slightly shocked that something as insignificant as Naruto leaving could bring out this kind of emotion in him and allowed his brother to simply comfort him._

"Sasuke." He looked up and saw his brother looking at him, "We're here."

He looked out the window at the tall glass building and at the sign that read "Namikaze Co."

\------

A black motorcycle zipped in between the cars that moved along the freeway, and the wind whipped at the windbreaker jacket. The rider gunned the throttle, asking the machine for more speed and crouched down lower when the bike responded beautifully. Even to this day, he still needed to feel some type of speed, despite trying to deny it a month ago.

It reminded him of things he tried so hard to forget.

The wind on his face and the feeling of flying; he still felt it now, but it was not the same, and it tugged at his heart. He pushed the feeling aside as he took the next exit and started to slow the bike down as a large glass building came into view and he felt a frown tug at his mouth. All he needed to do was get through this today and everything would go back to normal, despite how much he hated normal right now.

He turned onto the long driveway that looped up to the buildings front doors and killed the engine. A man quickly ran forward, "Sir, the meeting is about to start in three minutes, he's expecting you now!"

The black helmet was removed and set on the seat, "I know traffic was bad; tell him I'll be up as soon as possible."

\-----

Sasuke looked around the interior of the building as they made their way to the elevators. He was unimpressed; it looked exactly like all the other companies he had visited, dull and boring. They crossed the white marble floor and he scowled at his reflection; he could be doing other things, like looking for Naruto or training for the upcoming Event.

After Naruto had left, he had continued to train with Sanis and Dark Angel in hopes that Naruto would come back soon and would finish prepping him for the Event, but his heart was not in it for the first few weeks. It took another talk with Itachi to get him back on the course again, and he found that it helped to keep his mind off Naruto; if even for a little bit.

Sasuke still hoped that the blond would show up before the Event, and after he beat the crap out of him… well, he did not want to think about that here. But he knew that Naruto wouldn't be able to move that next morning after he showed him what would happen if he left again.

He felt a tug at his jacket as they entered the elevator and Itachi leaned over to whisper in his ear, "Don't talk about your career in horseracing. I know you're proud of it, but the president gets a little touchy on the subject."

"Why?"

"It's not good business to discuss something that involves gambling when dealing with a company meeting." Itachi answered, "Besides, he seems to dislike the sport, and the horse racing business and business in general are two separate worlds."

Sasuke grunted as the elevator chimed softly, telling them that they arrived on the needed floor. The silver doors opened and he followed after his father and brother, noticing that this floor had more color to it and his father was heading towards the glass doors. He straightened his tie and jacket as they entered the room and took a seat next to his brother.

They sat quietly for a minute or two, taking in the stylish interior, before the doors opened again and his father stood up as someone entered the room, "Mr. Namikaze, it's a pleasure to meet you again."

"Likewise Mr. Uchiha." The man answered, extending his hand towards the eldest Uchiha.

Itachi stood up and motioned Sasuke to follow his lead, whispering in his ear as he walked by, "Don't overreact."

Fugaku gestured towards Itachi, "You know my eldest son, Itachi." He said and they shook hands briefly, before he pushed Sasuke forward, "And this is my youngest son, Sasuke. Sasuke, this is Minato Namikaze."

Sasuke's eyes widened as he took in the older copy of his missing lover. He shot a glare at Itachi who smirked at him, before taking the offered hand. Now he knew why Itachi had told him not to mention racing today and told him that the racing world was in a different place compared to the business world. It seemed that Minato wasn't going to hint that he remembered Sasuke from the Belmont, let alone talk about his missing son.

Well, that was if he knew the blond was missing. Sasuke was certain that he did not even know Naruto was missing; let alone where he was.

The older blond smiled softly, "I've heard a lot about you from your father and brother Sasuke." He glanced behind him as the doors opened softly and he stepped towards the side, "I also have someone I would like to introduce you to, Mr. Uchiha," he said as another person came to move next to him, "This is my son, Naruto."

Naruto nodded to Fugaku and reached out to shake his hand, along with Itachi's and Sasuke's as they were introduced. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Uchiha, you should be very proud of your business." He said hollowly as he let go of Sasuke's hand, treating him as if they had never met before.

"Shall we get started then?" Fugaku asked.

Everyone nodded and moved to the plush leather chairs seated around the large mahogany table, but Sasuke stared in silence. Two months he had been searching and worrying, yet all this time, Naruto had been hiding here; in his father's grasp of all places. And even after those two months, Naruto had acted like there was nothing between them, like his leaving was no big deal.

"Mr. Uchiha?" He shook his head and realized that Naruto was calling him and his anger mounted when the blond refused to call him by his name, "Are you coming?"

He stayed still, noting the dull, dead look in the azure eyes along with the shadows under them. He didn't like seeing Naruto's eyes like that; they were supposed to be vivid and lively. His name was called again by his father, this time with a more demanding tone, telling him that if he didn't sit soon, he was going to be in trouble.

"Perhaps I should take Mr. Uchiha to get some fresh air." Naruto suggested and stood up. As he walked closer, Sasuke could smell the faint fragrance from Naruto's shampoo and he was torn between wanting to pull his lover into his arms, then having his way with him, or beating the crap out of him. He took in a few deep breaths to steady himself as Naruto came closer. "This way please Mr. Uchiha, I don't think we should keep them waiting much longer."

No, fuck staying calm. Calm; he realized, had left him the moment he had found out Naruto had runaway here for the past two months and didn't bother to tell anyone. He was beyond staying calm, he was furious.

He grabbed Naruto's arm as he walked by and spun him around. He caught sight of blue eyes widening in surprise, before his fist collided with the tan face, and Naruto stumbled back a few steps.

"What the hell are you playing Naruto?" He snarled and strode forward to grab the blond, "You think you can just vanish like that for two months without letting anyone know where you are or how you're doing?"

A tan hand grabbed his wrist and furious blue eyes met his, making Sasuke smirk; he liked these eyes better than the dead ones he saw earlier. He saw the fist coming towards his face and quickly grabbed it with his own as he let his other hand thread through the blond locks, pulling Naruto's head back. The blond growled and narrowed his eyes at him, and a second later, he found himself falling as Naruto kicked his legs out from under him.

The air in Sasuke's lungs rushed out of him as his back collided with the floor and he coughed harshly. His wrist were pinned above his head and Naruto's body was pressed flush against his. Their eyes met again and Naruto growled, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sasuke frowned as he bucked his hips up, catching Naruto off guard, and quickly rolled him around, so he was straddling his hips. He dodged the throw that was aimed towards his head, "I think you do, Na-ru-to." He hissed in his ear, "You can't tell me that you're forgotten what it's like to feel the wind in your face, and that feeling like you're flying."

Naruto let out roar as he pushed Sasuke off him and then tackled him to the ground again. They rolled around on the meeting room floor, crashing into the table and chairs, while they tried to avoid the punches and kicks thrown at each other. It was only when Sasuke had pushed Naruto to his stomach and sat on his back, did interference come in.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke looked up from the floor and he scowled at his father. He had forgotten about the other people in the room, and as Naruto's body tensed under him as his own name was called, he realized that Naruto had forgotten as well. Sasuke felt a hand grab his collar, pulling him up, and he glared into Itachi's amused face.

"Let me take them to cool off," He said to the two stunned men, "We'll be back shortly."

He dragged the two males with him and they excited the meeting room, ignoring the looks from the staff as they passed by them. Itachi quickly found an empty room, shoved the two inside and locked the door. He propped himself against the wall and looked at them, "Go ahead and continue your fight, there's nothing in here to stop you. Although you two may pass out from blood loss or have internal bleeding if you keep on fighting."

Naruto touched his face where Sasuke had first struck him and he hissed at the touch. He could feel the dried blood on his lip and he had bit his tongue when he had hit the floor. There were also specks of Sasuke's blood on his white shirt from a punch he had landed.

Sasuke had fared much better since he had started the fight, but his lip was still split and he could taste the metallic blood in his mouth. And his shin hurt from where it hit the table as they had rolled around on the meeting room floor. But he wasn't about to take back anything he did, the blond deserved it for leaving him like that and not saying anything.

The two looked at each other before Naruto looked away, "I don't care to hear what Mr. Uchiha has to say."

Sasuke growled and grabbed Naruto's chin, forcing him to look at him, "Stop calling me that dammit, and stop acting like you don't know me. Trying to forget what happened won't prevent the hurt. Now, tell me why you left."

Naruto looked away as Sasuke let go of his chin, then settled on the desk and Sasuke could see him visible deflate, "I couldn't stay anymore."

"Bullshit, you're stronger than that."

Azure eyes flashed, "I raised that colt from the day he was born, you have no idea how much pain I'm went through; the pain I'm still going through. Do you know what it's like to lose someone you care about?"

_'Yes, I do. I thought I'd lost you.'_

"I know you were close to Kyuubi, Naruto. Anyone with eyes could see that, but you fucking left without telling anyone. Do you know how worried everyone was and still is? Hell, Tsunade blames herself for not staying at the barn and thinks that he might have gotten sick from a mare he bred with. So now Iruka is blaming himself, saying that he shouldn't have lined up so many mares for Kyuubi."

Naruto bit his lip and focused on the carpet. He didn't blame either Tsunade or Iruka for Kyuubi's death; it wasn't their fault and there was no reason for them to think that it was.

"It wasn't their fault, we knew Kyuubi had a weak immune system and it was only a matter of time before everything caught up with him."

"So why did you leave?"

"I told you." He snapped, "I couldn't stay. Tell me Sasuke, what would you do if Sanis died?"

Sasuke was silent for a moment, trying to think of an answer that would satisfy Naruto but couldn't. He knew that his relationship with the mare wasn't like Naruto's was with Kyuubi, but he still couldn't see himself leaving.

"What about the farm, Naruto?" He asked, avoiding the question.

"They're fine; they have Gaara." He said stubbornly.

Sasuke let out a sigh and shook his head, "Naruto, Gaara is only one jockey and you know that owners are still hesitant to let him ride. But they know your skills and will be asking for you. If you don't ride, they won't be able to pull in the money they need to stay running and they'll close down. Do you want that on your shoulders?"

Naruto didn't answer but Sasuke could see his jaw tighten and Sasuke continued to plow on, "You still haven't given me a logical reason why you left. I know it hurt, but you still had Kyuubi's foal."

The blonds' head jerked up and he chuckled lightly, "I guess Iruka and Tsunade didn't tell you. B. Dazzle was having trouble with her pregnancy and the loss of the foal was high. I'm pretty sure that it was a still born since there hasn't been any news about its birth yet."

Sasuke frowned, "You're being childish."

"No I'm not, I'm being human. We can't all hold onto this perfect façade like you can."

"So, you think that I put up this perfect front all the time?" Sasuke asked, "That I didn't care when you left? Tell me Naruto, did you even once stop to think about how your leaving would affect not just the farm, but me as well?"

"I- I." Naruto stuttered.

"No, you didn't. Did you think that if you left, all the pain would just go away and you would forget everything that had happened?"

Naruto dropped his head, "Yes."

"What about me then?"

The blonds head shot up, "What?"

"What about me?" Sasuke repeated, "Did you want to forget me and everything we've been through."

Naruto was silent, carefully avoiding Sasuke's gaze. Of course, he didn't want to forget Sasuke, but he wanted to forget the pain that had crept into his heart after Kyuubi's death, and thinking of Sasuke reminded him of everything he wanted to forget.

"I just want to forget everything Sasuke." He said after a while.

The blond reared his head back as Sasuke's hand launched forward and grasped his chin again. "Are you sure you want to forget me?"

Naruto didn't answer and tried to look away, but Sasuke's grip held him in place. Azure eyes darted to the side, refusing to make contact with ebony ones, and Sasuke frowned before pulling him close to his body, mashing his lips against Naruto's.

The blond struggled against his hold, but Sasuke tightened his grip and bit down on Naruto's lower lip, asking for entrance. Naruto gasped and Sasuke took the chance to slip his tongue into the moist cavern. Naruto's struggling slowed to a stop as the familiar pleasure of Sasuke's kiss rushed over him and he relented control to Sasuke, allowing him to dominate the kiss as he wrapped his arms around Sasuke's shoulders.

When they broke apart, Sasuke smirked and placed a quick kiss on the bruised lips, "I knew you couldn't forget me, even if you wanted."

Naruto pushed him away, "Arrogant bastard."

Sasuke reached forward to push a strand of hair away from Naruto's face, and gently cupped his cheek, "No running now Naruto; I'm not leaving until this is sorted out."

The Uzumaki sighed, "Sasuke, I'm not strong enough to go back. Kyuubi meant so much to me, and to go back would be so painful."

"I know," Sasuke said, and pulled his lovers head into his chest then wrapped his arms around Naruto's shoulders. "But you are being childish; you can't expect to keep running from everything bad in life. Eventually it will catch up to you."

Naruto buried his face in Sasuke's shirt, "I promised him." He murmured and Sasuke glanced down at the blond head, "I promised him that I wouldn't let anything else happen to him after the accident and that I would take care of him. I could not keep that promise Sasuke. How do you think that makes me feel, knowing that I couldn't even look after my own horse."

Sasuke could tell that Naruto was hurting from Kyuubi's death, and he knew that it would take time for the wound to heal, but he needed to stop running and blaming himself. His mind went back to what Itachi told him a few months ago and he realized that it was no ones fault the colt had died and even if he was there, there was nothing either one of them could do.

They had both been blaming themselves for something that they couldn't control. The only difference was that Naruto had run and given up, while he had stayed and continued looking. He wouldn't be weak anymore and now that he found Naruto again, he would do everything in his power to keep him from running again.

"Naruto, he had a weak immune system, you said so yourself. Even if Tsunade had been there, there was nothing you could have done; it's not your fault." He answered and pulled the blonds hands from his shirt, forcing him to focus on his face, "There was no way you could have kept that promise, and you need to realize that. You have to let it go, Kyuubi would have wanted it that way."

Cerulean eyes locked with his for a moment before darting towards the ground again, "I'm sorry Sasuke. I'm not strong enough to let it go. I just want to forget everything and move on, it's, its better this way."

"You asked me earlier how I would have acted if I lost someone I cared about," Sasuke said softly and Naruto glanced back at him. "I don't have the same relationship with Sanis that you and Kyuubi shared, but I did lose someone I cared about, and I did not even realize it until they was gone and it brought all these emotions forth that I didn't even know existed. You claim that I always hold this perfect façade, but when this person left, it all broke." Azure eyes looked at him curiously and Sasuke answered, "I thought that I had lost you."

Naruto's eyes widened and Sasuke took the chance to lean in for another kiss, threading his hand through the blond locks while the other one pulled the blond's body closer to his. He felt Naruto's arm circle around his waist as he responded to the kiss, and Sasuke reluctantly broke them apart.

He looked at Naruto's face and gently ran his thumb over the flushed cheeks before turning towards the door. "I think I know why you wanted me to bring that extra shirt." He said to Itachi as he opened the door and Itachi just smirked as he handed him the extra clothing.

Sasuke turned back to Naruto as he exited the room, "I don't want to forget you, Naruto, and it seems like you don't want to either, but forcing you back won't accomplish anything." He softly said to the blonde-haired person and gently closed the door, leaving Naruto to battle with his emotions alone.


	18. Returning Home

_If you go back far enough in time, you are only looking at three horses who started the world of racing; Matchem, Herod, and Eclipse._

_A stallion and mare each donate 50 percent to a horse's bloodline; however, those parents received those bloodlines from their parents, who received their bloodlines from their parents and so forth. The art of breeding is about combining strong bloodlines in an attempt to produce an even stronger heir, but after 20 or more generations, the chances of a pureblood are small. Because of this, there are some people who believe that a race is determined before the race even starts. In theory, it is the horse with the purest bloodline that is the fastest._  
\-------

Three days after the meeting from Hell (as Sasuke called it), he found himself walking through the glass doors again. This time though, he was by himself and no one else knew he was coming.

Naruto still hadn't returned home, but Sasuke knew that he was still at Namikaze Co., and he intended on getting down to the bottom of this problem today.

He made his way through the clean lobby, asking the receptionist where Minato's office was, refusing to give his name. He was not too sure how Minato would handle seeing him again, after all, he did punch his son in the face. Come to think of it, he had already chewed out the man once in the past as it was. And if his fathers temper on the way back home that night was any indication on the Namikaze's reaction, then it was safe to say that Minato would not take too well with him barging into his office and demanding Naruto to return home.

Sasuke strolled to the elevator and pressed the up arrow, waiting calmly for the machine to arrive. He could act calm now; he knew what to expect, what to say and it was safe to say that he was not going to punch Minato in the face as he did to Naruto. Although he was sure he would get some pleasure out of it.

The elevator arrived with a soft ding and he let himself into the mirrored box, straightening out his jacket and tie once the door closed. He briefly thought about asking Itachi to come with him, but he realized that this was something that he needed to do by himself. He had told Naruto that he was not going to force him back and he was going to keep true to that word, but he wanted to know Minato side of the story.

Surely, Naruto had told him about the colt's death by now.

He watched the numbers tick by and stop on the top floor, before the doors opened quietly. His feet made no noise as he walked across the carpeted floor and past the frosted glass doors with little black lettering. It was only by good fortune that Naruto's door was closed as he walked by; he was not in the mood to deal with the younger blond at the moment, the elder would be tough enough.

The secretary looked at him as he approached, "May I help you?"

"I need to speak with Mr. Namikaze please."

"Name?"

"He's not expecting me." Sasuke answered, "And I was told he was free in a few moments."

The secretary narrowed her eyes, "Mr. Namikaze is a very busy man, sir. I am afraid you can't see him if you don't have a scheduled meeting."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and wiggled his fingers, "You will let me see Mr. Namikaze."

"He's not in his office right now, and your little mind tricks won't work on me. I'm smarter than you."

Hmph, he was certain that one would work, it worked in the movies after all…still; the secretary had given him something else to work with. Something that would give him an advantage. "Look, a snake eating a pineapple!" He yelled, pointing to the ground.

The secretary let out a scream, giving Sasuke the chance to grab the pair of keys sitting on her desk and run to the locked office door. He nearly stopped in the middle of the hall when he realized what he just said and the only thing he could think of was, 'Where the hell did that come from?' Interestingly enough though, he did not think that one would of worked at all. He picked up his pace when he heard the woman yelling at him to stop, but the key slid into the lock easily, allowing him to slip through the door and bolt the door shut behind him.

All too easy.

He ignored the pounding on the door and dropped the brown colored wig onto the leather chair. He could not have the secretary telling Minato what he looked like, otherwise the man would figure out who was really in his office now and he wanted to have the element of surprise. His father would probably kill him for this later, but if everything went well, then he would not mind. The pounding on the door stopped as he shed his jacket and placed it over the chair as well.

Itachi always said that in order to beat an enemy, you needed to know them better. He looked around the room slowly, taking in the pictures hanging on the wall, to the books that were settled on the bookshelves and he frowned. There was nothing out of the ordinary to give him a better edge over the man and as he heard the sound of a key being inserted into the lock, he knew he had run out of time.

Time to wing it.

\-------

Minato ran a hang through his blond locks tiredly. Even though the meeting had gone successfully, it had been a long day, despite the fact that it was only ten in the morning. It didn't help that Naruto was still withdrawn and refusing to talk to him; as he had been for the past three days. He was starting to get worried about his son's health, it did not take a genius to see that he was losing sleep and his appetite had dropped ever since he had arrived.

Then there was the whole ordeal with the youngest Uchiha.

He had no doubt in his mind that he had said something to Naruto the other day and was still trying to convince his son to come back. And with that thought in mind, he had ordered security to keep him away; there was no way he was going to let the Uchiha convince Naruto to go back into that dangerous world, yet Naruto loved that same dangerousworld so much.

He let out a sigh, _'Kushina'_

As he made his way down the long hall, he noticed his secretary pacing back and forth in front of his office door, and she jumped when he called her name. "Is everything alright?"

"Ah, Mr. Namikaze, a man stopped by earlier, demanding to see you."

Minato stiffened, "What did he look like?"

"Brown hair, nothing at all like the Uchiha you told us to look for. He wouldn't tell me his name but he grabbed your office keys and has locked himself in your office." She decided not to add that he had also tricked her with the simplest of tricks. "And now he refuses to come out."

The blond sighed again, yes; this was turning into a very troublesome day. "I'll talk to him. If you hear a gunshot, call the police and get everyone out."

"S-sir!"

He waved a hand, "If he did have one, security would have caught it when he came in." He said as he pulled out his extra set of keys and let himself into his office. He did not see anyone when he entered the room but his chair behind his desk was facing the window instead of the door.

"I'm afraid you're in my chair, not to mention, my office and I'm going to ask you to leave."

The chair stayed still but a smooth voice answered him, "How is he sleeping at night?"

"Who?"

"Your son," the voice answered, "I've seen the bags under his eyes and lack of life in them. I had heard that when someone dies, people close to them call for their loved ones when they sleep; does he call for his colt at night?"

Minato gripped his briefcase tighter, how could he forget those first few nights when Naruto's screams for Kyuubi echoed through the house. They had almost vanished now, but he could only guess that his dreams were plagued with his last minutes with the colt.

"I take your silence as a yes and I can even go as far to guess that you didn't do anything during those nights to help him." The voice paused for a moment, "I'm sure you think that the colt was nothing but an animal and could be easily replaced; ironic I thought the same way. But your son, he's something else."

"What do you mean?"

A pale finger tapped the armrest as the person collected his thoughts, "When I first met him, I thought the same thing about the animals that were raced on the track. They were nothing but instruments to be used and when one failed to produce, you moved onto the next one. There was no feeling for them, it was strictly work and business, but then he entered my life." A soft chuckle floated through the room, "Amazing that no matter how much I tried to hate him and prove him wrong, he always bested me. Then I realized his love for the horses were real."

"Where are you going with this?"

"What I'm trying to figure out is why he hasn't come back yet. He would not just leave the place he loves the most and come to a place he despises. I think you're keeping him here against his will, and if you were a father who cared for him, you would let him leave."

Minato crossed the room, grabbed the top of the chair and spun it around. His eyes widened when they locked with the black eyes of one Uchiha Sasuke. "How'd you get in here?"

"Your secretary so kindly gave me the keys."

He narrowed his eyes, "Get out."

"No. Not until you tell me why Naruto isn't coming back."

The blond scowled, "He came here of his own free will and he is staying of his own free will."

"Hn, I somehow doubt that. You have made your hatred of the sport quite obvious in the past and now that he is in your grip, you are not too keen on letting him go. Are you?"

The azure eyes darkened, "You know nothing about the sport. The danger it holds for the jockey and her family, how people are torn apart by it. The horse is a large animal, if it goes down, so does the rider, and if that horse was at the front of the pack, the others cannot avoid it. Then what happens Sasuke?" His grip tightened on the chair. "You've never seen death on the track, have you?"

Realization dawned then behind onyx eyes, "But you have." He said softly and his gaze drifted towards the one picture next to the computer, where a woman with red hair was standing next to Minato and holding a bundle of blankets. His eyes went wide as he remembered Gaara's words from their talk in Maryland, "Your wife used to be a jockey…"

Minato let go of the chair and moved to put some distance between Sasuke and himself. He settled himself into another chair that sat across from the desk and his shoulders slumped, "Yes, she was."

Sasuke bit his lip, they were talking in past tense; that meant; "She was killed on the track."

Silence filled the room and Sasuke pondered what to say next. Saying 'I'm sorry' did not hold much value for something like that and it wasn't like he was the cause of her death; it was best to just stay silent and let the older male make the next move. It made sense now though, his disapproval of the sport and his desire to keep Naruto safe. His son was all he had left after his wife's death and he did not want to lose him either.

Finally, there was a small chuckle, "Even after Naruto was born, she didn't want to stop racing and I never once tried to stop her. She loved it so much and Naruto loved being around the horses so much as well, it is no surprise that he inherited her love and talent for riding as well."

"It wasn't your fault that she died."

"Hm, I would figure that you would say that, you couldn't quite understand the pain involved with losing someone you love."

Sasuke shook his head, "You're right, I've never watched someone die that was close to me, but over the past two months I spent every day worrying that something had happened to someone close to me. I know it's not the same thing, but I have a small idea of what you must have gone through."

"I can guess you're talking about my son." Minato stated and Sasuke nodded his head, "What is your relationship with him then, Uchiha?"

Oh, was it time for that little talk now?

"I care for him, and I wouldn't have let him face those dreams alone." He said simply, letting Minato take that sentence any way he preferred.

"Is that why you want him back then? And if so, what if the same thing happens to him that happened to his mother? Would you let that happen to him?"

Sasuke chuckled, "You two are exactly the same. Any job holds a type of danger, life in itself poses a danger everyday. But you cannot shield nor hide him away for fear of the unexpected. He promised Kyuubi that he would not let anything happen to him, just as you are trying to keep things from happen to Naruto. You do realize that is impossible. You can't protect him from everything."

"And you're saying you can?"

Sasuke shook his head, "No one can, but I can offer him support when he needs it and be there for him."

"Anyone can do that." Minato argued. "I just want what's best for him; surely you can't fault me for that. I want him to be happy and safe."

"If you want him to be happy, then let him go back and ride. Have you ever seen his face when he is out on the track? It shines with nothing but happiness, and as his father, that alone should be good enough for you." Sasuke sighed and ran a hand over his face, "We've had this discussion before, when we were in New York, and I can see you haven't changed since then."

Minato was silent before walking around the desk and Sasuke tensed for a moment, but the blond simply unlocked a desk drawer and pulled out two manila folders. He set the thick folders on the desk as he moved back around and waited until Sasuke met his gaze. "That," he said, pointing to the folder, "Is all the information I have on the whereabouts of one Orochimaru. From his previous stays to his most recent location."

Ebony eyes widened and Sasuke reached forward to flip the folder open. He skimmed it for a moment before turning his gaze back to Minato, "I don't understand."

"Sasuke, you say that I don't care about my son, but I do; I just show it differently compared to others. When I found out that Kyuubi's fall was not accidental, I had some people that I know gather information for me. I know it can't bring the colt back or stop the hurt, but it's the only thing that I could to do."

"The other one?" Sasuke asked as he opened it and found it filled with newspaper clippings. Newspaper clippings that covered Naruto's success in racing and it was then that Sasuke realized that Minato really did care.

"I see." Sasuke answered and he stood up with the folder in his hands, "I didn't come originally to argue with you, merely to get your side of the story, but understand this. He needs to face what he is running from and if you want him to be happy again; you should tell him to come back. He has both his farm and mine to help through the recovery process and I'll be with him the entire time."

He nodded his head in thanks and went to move to the door, opening it gently and closing it with a soft click; pointedly ignoring the flustered secretary.

\-------

Minato was left in silence after Sasuke left. Silence in which he took time to think.

Think about Naruto and his love for the dangerous sport, and then to think about Kushina, who died doing said sport.

Could he really be selfish and keep his son from what he loved in order to protect him? Did that really make him a bad father?

Kushina had encouraged Naruto to ride anything that he wanted when he expressed an interest in riding. She let him try everything from western riding to pony clubs, and somewhere in that time, he had settled down with eventing. His son excelled at the sport and he remembered feeling the pride in his chest when Naruto brought home his first blue ribbon at the age of six. It would not be until a year later that the accident happened.

It was one of the days that Naruto could not get off school due to a test that Friday, but Jiraiya was going to drop him off at the track after school. She was racing in the last heat of the day, allowing them plenty of time to relax throughout the day until the time for her race came. The stallion that she was riding was named Raven Rise and was one of Kushina's favorite horses. He was a deep coal color with three white socks that seemed to blur together when he raced, making them look like wings on his hooves as he moved down the track, and he had speed like none other.

The accident happened so quickly that everything was over in the blink of an eye. One moment they were heading down the stretch, half a length ahead of the pack, when the colt stumbled; track officials and vets would later say that he had overextended coming down the final lengths. The sudden change in direction had caught his wife off guard, making her lose a stirrup and slip off the side of the horse and onto the dirt track.

The other jockeys tried to avoid the fallen jockey, but when everyone is bunched up into a pack, they cannot shift or stop on a dime, and it was only by good luck that Kushina was near the rail and was able to roll under it. Good luck in that she was not killed instantly that is.

By the time he made it onto the field, the track paramedics were already there and assessing the situation, while officials tried to catch the rider less horse. He still remembered the ride to the hospital, holding his wife's hand and talking softly to her while calling Jiraiya and telling him what happened. They met him at the hospital and Minato was left with Naruto while they took Kushina into surgery. Naruto was still too young to understand the seriousness of the injury; he knew that falling was bad, but he did not know that his mothers fall was deadly.

When Kushina was released from surgery, the doctors had warned him that she might not make it through the night before they let them see her. She was awake when they went into the room to see her and she flashed them a tired smile. She asked if the horse was alright and he had to laugh at her question; only Kushina would ask something like that. She had called Naruto over to talk to him briefly and he watched the boys face carefully, looking for any signs of trouble, but Naruto held in his pain.

After Kushina finished talking to Naruto, he moved over to her bed and had Naruto wait outside; he did not want him to see Kushina die. He remembered the soft words she spoke to him, telling him to let Naruto continue to ride and how much she loved both of them.

The doctors were correct in saying she would not make it through the night; she died three hours later.

During the next few months, he was terrified to let Naruto back on the horse, despite what Kushina had told him. And when he asked Naruto why he was not scared to get back on, he told him what Kushina told him before she died. He relented after that and let him ride, but once he developed a love for racing, he could not bring himself to support him; the fear of losing him to the track was too strong in his mind.

But now as he sat here in his office, he remembered the words that his wife had told his son so long ago, and he realized that he could not keep Naruto here. He did not belong in the business world, he belonged in the horse world, doing what he loved best.

_'Never be scared of the unknown Naruto, and do what it is you love most in this world; whether it's jumping or racing. Don't let your fear cloud what you love to do; you'll be miserable if you do.'_

Minato stood up from his chair and stalked out of his office; he would be damned if he ignored Kushina's memory any more.

\---------

Naruto was staring blankly at the computer screen in front of him, eyes not taking in the words in front of him. Another day had come and gone since he had last seen Sasuke and damn it to hell if it was not effecting him in more ways than one. His return had brought back the time they spent together riding and training, which made him think of the farms, which in turn, made him remember Kyuubi. Moreover, remembering Kyuubi made the dreams come back.

After two months, they had finally died down enough that he was not scared to fall asleep at night. But the night after the meeting; he could see Kyuubi as clear as day, and he woke up screaming for the first time in two months. And just like two months ago, there was no condolence from his father, and he could not help but wonder if Sasuke would have held him during the night to help keep the dreams away.

And then there was Sasuke in general.

His body still remembered the way his lips lingered on his skin before he left, saying that he thought he had lost him and that he didn't want to forget him. And the dreams that haunted him about Kyuubi's death, now changed into memories of him and Sasuke; most of which involved no clothing and him waking up with a slight problem.

It seemed that Sasuke's visit was slowly torturing both his mind and body now.

He was jarred from his thoughts when the door to his office opened and he narrowed his eyes slightly at the person; he really did not want to deal with him now.

\-------

Minato ignored the look Naruto gave him when he entered his office and instead looked his son over closely. Naruto still had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep and he looked more flustered than he usually did; the Uchiha knew his son well.

He wondered how well…

He pushed the thought aside as he shut the door, "We need to talk Naruto."

Naruto let out a sigh and turned to the computer, "I'm almost done with the specs you sent me; give me an hour."

"I'm not talking about the specs, son. I am talking about what happened a few months ago. I know what happened, but I want to know why you did what you did."

Naruto tensed; his father had never pressed about what happened that day. That morning when he showed up at his father's house at four o' clock, with tears running down his face, saying that he wanted the job at the company and he never wanted to return to the racing world again.

"I'm waiting."

"You already know that Kyuubi died, what else do you need to know?" Naruto snapped.

"I want to know why you came here. You could have gone anywhere else, but you chose to stay somewhere close, close enough to keep the memory alive. One would think that you enjoy the pain in remembering; or is it that you don't want to forget?"

Naruto's eyes darted off to the side and found purchase on the bookshelf. "I want to forget."

Minato chuckled, "No you don't Naruto, and I don't think you can bring yourself to do that. You're too much like your mother."

Azure eyes snapped back up to met his father's darker blue eyes. "What?"

"Do you remember what she told you the first time you feel off your pony? When you sat on the ground and cried that the pony didn't like you and you didn't want to ride anymore?"

A blush crept up on Naruto's neck at that memory; trust his father to remember something like that. "Yes," he answered, "She said that I couldn't just quit and run away from a problem. I needed to get back on and try again."

"So why aren't you listening to your mother?"

"Because she's not here to tell me otherwise. You, however, are and you keep telling me to stop."

Minato winced at the statement, "That's never stopped you before."

There was a small snort, "Shouldn't you be happy? I've stopped racing and I'm working for you in the job that you always wanted me to have."

The elder blond grasped Naruto's chin gently and brought his head up, "But you're not happy here."

"Yes I am; I'm as happy as I can get. I'm as happy as a drunken Lee when he puts on Sakura's pink tutu over his green spandex and dances outside under the full moon calling himself, 'the green spring pixie fairy.'"

Silence stretched over them and Minato blinked a couple times, "That was really random. But you're not Lee"

"Correct."

"And you're not drunk and wearing a tutu."

"Correct."

"Therefore you can't be happy."

"Correct…damn."

Minato smiled, "You're my son, Naruto, and I can see right through you; I know you're not happy here and you want to go back."

Naruto shifted in his chair, "I just want to make you proud."

His father moved around the desk and knelt down in front of him so they were eye level, "Naruto, you have made me proud, no matter what you do, and I know that your mother would be proud as well."

"But-"

"I just want you to be happy again, doing what you love, and being with the ones you love; this is not what you love." He said gently and stood back up, "And if you're anything like your mother, you would know that by now."

The door clicked shut softly as his father left the office area, leaving Naruto alone again. He snorted softly and turned back to his computer, "He doesn't know anything." He said aloud as he brought up a new Word document and started to type again.

\----------

The sun was beginning to set when footsteps echoed across the marble flooring as they walked towards the glass doors and the jingle of keys chimed softly as they were pulled from his pants pocket. He did not see anyone at the front desk, let alone the entire first floor and he smiled; it was exactly the way he wanted it. The doors slid open, allowing the cool breeze to brush against face as he loosened his tie and let it hang from his shoulders. His fingers flipped through the keys as he looked for the correct one and he nearly dropped them when a voice called him.

"Naruto."

His head whipped up and all coherent thoughts left him as his mind processed the person standing in front of him; he knew that voice and only one person would lean against his car with that smug smirk.

"Sasuke."

"Hn, took you long enough to get here." Came the answer as he held out his arms.

He launched himself into Sasuke's waiting arms, not caring when his tie fluttered to the ground, and felt them close around his body as he was pressed against Sasuke's chest and warm lips pressed against his own. He threaded his fingers into Sasuke's dark hair as he responded to the kiss and he let himself remember everything all over again, knowing that this time it would be different; because Sasuke would be there for him.

They finally broke, panting lightly for air and Sasuke placed one more kiss on his forehead and squeezed his hand, "Come on, lets go home."

\--------

On the top floor of the tall business building, a single sheet of paper sat on the clean, mahogany desk in a room that was once occupied by a young employee of only two months.

_To: Mr. Namikaze,_

_You seem to have made it very clear that my talents lay elsewhere in the world of business, and because of that, I will no longer be working under you, as I once again go out to pursue those dreams that you once regarded as childish and dangerous. Let it be known that you forced me to do this by pushing me back into the job yourself, so now you have no one but yourself to blame for making me leave, and you do realize that no matter what, I will not be returning._

_I do apologize though, for bothering you at four in the morning, two months ago. I must have looked like shit that morning, but I believe I was not in my right mind at that time. Still, you took me back in and did not question me about it, although I do remember seeing that look of triumph in your eyes when I said that I wanted to take the offered job. Well, it looks like that job is back up for grabs again, maybe this time you'll find someone who's better qualified; someone who will put their entire heart into what they do._

_I thought a lot about what you said this afternoon, and I realized that I was acting like a young child. She would not be very happy with me now, would she? Still, it took a while to realize that I truly did not want to forget anything, and that includes Kyuubi's death; no matter how much it hurts. You did not run when she died, and I should stop running as well. I understand your want and desire to protect me; but someone once told me that you could not make a promise to protect a person (or animal) from things you cannot prevent._

_On that note, I think it is only fair that you do not judge the Uchiha's for what happened a few days ago. They really are good people, even though the older one can be scary and the youngest one is an arrogant bastard, but they were only looking out for me; even if it took a punch to the face to get my brain onto the right track again. Anyway, you don't need to worry about me much, I have someone to take over that job; you already met him a few days ago; maybe one day you two will meet on better terms._

_You said that if I was anything like her I would know what to do, and despite everything that happened over the past two months, I knew what I wanted to do even after I left my first job. I guess I am stubborn like her; you should know that by now. You know where to find me, should you ever want to come and visit._

_Sincerely,_

_Uzumaki Naruto_

_Ex-businessman and current jockey for Eclipse Estates_

\------

Minato leaned back in his chair and listened to the rumbling of the car leaving the long driveway. A smile touched his lips as he closed his eyes and hummed a soft tune, knowing that an empty office would be all that waited for him now.

_'Watch over him Kushina.'_

\------

Gravel crunched under the tires as Sasuke pulled into the driveway of Eclipse Estates. Next to him, Naruto squirmed uneasily and Sasuke leaned over to place a kiss on his temple. "Relax; the worst you have to worry about is facing your friends."

Naruto laughed hollowly, "Yeah, sure."

They got out of the car and Sasuke grabbed his wrist, "Before you can see them, I need to show you something." He said and Naruto cocked his head slightly before following after Sasuke.

Dread started to form in the pit of his stomach as they neared a familiar paddock and he slowed down, but Sasuke grabbed his wrist and gave it a tug. Naruto's eyes pleaded with ebony eyes not to do this to him but Sasuke shook his head and gave his wrist another tug, and soon they were in front of Kyuubi's empty paddock.

"Sasuke," Naruto choked out, "Why are you doing this to me?"

Sasuke pressed him up against the railing and placed his arms on either side of Naruto's waist, "Because I love you." He said, then turned him around so he was facing the paddock and placed his head on his shoulder. "Do you believe in second chances?"

"What?"

"Do you believe in second chances?" Sasuke repeated.

"I gave you second chances, didn't I?"

Sasuke smirked and leaned forward more, "Call him."

"Who?"

"Kyuubi."

"Sasuke, please don't do this." He whimpered.

"Naruto, trust me on this, please."

His body trembled slightly before he nodded and wet his lips, then let out a loud whistle. The sound was foreign to his tongue but the noise brought back memories and he bit his lip to keep back the tears.

"Sas-"

"Watch."

His gaze settled out over the still empty pasture where only a few leaves stirred as the wind danced across the grass. It was silent with the exception of the birds flying overhead, and then his ears noticed the faint noise of hoof beats. They became louder before a loud whiney broke through the noise and Naruto felt his heart stop as Sasuke gripped his waist.

It sounded like Kyuubi's.

His eyes widened and he felt Sasuke's grip tighten; coming down from the back pasture was a red chestnut.

It galloped down to the edge of the fence and as it neared, he could tell that it was a new foal. It stopped in front of him and bobbed its head excitedly as it pranced in front of them before shoving its nose against Naruto's chest, asking for attention. He blinked back the shock and slowly raised his hand, allowing the foal to take in his scent. The foal squealed in delight at the scent before nudging his pocket, looking for a treat he normally kept there for Kyuubi.

"Ky-Kyuubi." He choked out and the foal's small ears pricked at his voice, before letting out a snort and soft brown eyes danced with mischief.

Sasuke chuckled gently, "Not quite, but close." He said as the foal leaned into Naruto's touch, "For one, it's a filly, not a colt like Kyuubi, however, like Kyuubi, she is all yours."

"I don't understand." He croaked.

"This" he said, gesturing to the mini Kyuubi, "Is the filly that you thought wouldn't be born. She was born a little early, but she's healthy and loves to race; just like her sire."

"What's her name?" Naruto asked, as he stroked the velvet ears.

"We haven't named her yet. We were waiting for you to return so you could name and train her, as you did Kyuubi. His blood flows through her veins."

Naruto turned around and threw his arms around Sasuke, "Thank you Sasuke. Thank you for bringing me back." He whispered as tears came to his eyes, "I'm sorry it took so long for me to do so."

Sasuke gripped him tighter, "Just don't do it again, you scared everyone." He leaned forward more, "And tonight, I'm going to show you what happens when you make me wor- eh, go two months without you; you won't be able to ride or move for a week."

The blonde-haired jockey laughed as they broke apart and wiped his tears away. "How about I ride first, then you can have your way with me." His voice dropped to a husky whisper, "Or would you rather I ride you tonight?"

"Hm."

"Well, well, well, look who decided to come back home." A voice said and Naruto tensed before he turned around.

"Hey, Sakura."

He did not get any further before Sakura grabbed his shirt and started to shake him like a rag doll, "Don't you ever do that again you idiot. Next time you leave without warning you are not going to want to come back by the time I get done with you."

A pale hand dropped on her shoulder, stopping her and she turned around and smiled, "Would you like a turn Gaara?"

Naruto looked up, "Heh, I don't like that look Gaara. Gaara? Please don't kill me!"

Sasuke smirked as he leaned up against the railing and Itachi came up next to him. "No more sulking?"

"I wasn't sulking; I was plotting ways to get him back."

Itachi rolled his eyes, "Good to have you back, little brother." He said and ruffled his hair.

Sasuke growled and swatted his hand away, "You knew this would happen, didn't you?"

"What, this?" He asked and gestured at the scene in front of them and Sasuke nodded, "I did not."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow and Itachi continued, "Okay, I admit that I knew about Naruto's way of thinking when it came to animals, and I wanted you to understand that as well, before you lost your love for sporting in general. But no, I didn't realize it would escalade into this, however, I am proud that you have broken out of father's mold for the 'perfect son'."

Sasuke was about to answer, but Itachi pushed off the railing and walked closer to Naruto who was yelling 'uncle' repeatedly. "So Naruto, what's the filly's name?"

A silence fell over the group and Naruto looked back at the filly that was playing with the new crop of foals. The setting sun caught her red coat, reminding him not of one, but two people he loved the most in the world.

"Kushina's Honor." He said softly and let his head drop onto the cool grass as he looked up at the setting sky.

_'I won't run again mom, I promise.'_

A hand appeared in front of his face and he looked up at Sasuke, whose eyes were dancing in amusement. He took the offered hand and brushed the grass off his body as Sasuke looked at him, "You do know that racing season starts soon."

Naruto grinned, "But your competition is sooner; I hope you've been training."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and they followed everyone back to the bunkhouse; back to the place where Naruto called home.

\------  
 _However, every racehorse has within them, a small part of one of the original three stallions, and in that small part is the desire to run and perform. And in this case, it does not matter whether or not the lineage can be directly traced or not, raw talent does not hold a candle to the fire that hard work and training can bring forth. Bloodlines only play a small part on the field, the rest comes from the determination and desire on the horse's part and the love the rider and trainer hold for the horse._


	19. That's Why They Call it Flying

Naruto's eyes glanced down the long table and let out a soft sigh. This was not how things were supposed to happen. It was supposed to be a nice dinner celebrating Sasuke's first eventing success, but instead it had turned into something much more awkward. His eyes shifted to the male sitting next to him who had the decency to look at least a little guilty.

After all, it was his fault.

Stupid Uchiha's and their damn horniness.

\-------

_Two Months Prior_

"You lazy bum, you did nothing while I was gone!" Naruto exclaimed as he watched Sasuke and Dark Angel circle the ring again.

Sasuke pulled the gelding up next to him, "I was a little busy with other things to train everyday." He stated.

Naruto's lips curled up into a sly smirk, "Like looking for me."

Sasuke turned his head away to hide the faint pink dusting his cheeks, "No."

"Forget it Sasuke, Itachi told me everything."

Silence stretched between them for a second before Sasuke responded again, "I was just frustrated with you, that is all."

Laughter sounded from behind Naruto where Sai was standing, "More like sexually frustrated. We all heard you two that first night you came back."

The blond flushed, "Moving on…" He turned to face Sasuke again, "Regardless of what you've done for the past two months or so, your heals keep coming up when you go over the jumps. Try again."

Sasuke nodded and pushed the horse into a smooth canter before directing him towards the first jump. They moved over it effortlessly and bounded away towards the next one. Naruto trained his eyes on the two bodies as they moved over the next jump, looking for anything that would cause them to lose points. Although it was not Sasuke's jumping that had Naruto worried so much; it was his dressage.

The event was judged on precision, grace and detail, where the rider needed to be merely an extension of the horse, and the horse needed to move with elasticity in every step. Dark Angel had the skills to do so, but he would only do them if Sasuke cued him correctly.

After finishing the course cleanly, Naruto gestured for him to bring the horse over to the gate that led to the dressage ring. They passed through and Naruto pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "This is the list of moves that the beginner novice, such as yourself, will be expected to complete. This level requires that you complete all three gaits and some circles."

"Dark Angel isn't at a novice level."

"True," Naruto answered, "But this is an open class, meaning, the points he's acquired won't count at this competition. The next time you compete, Sanis should be ready to ride and you'll be able to accumulate points with her. This competition is just to get you back into the feel of things."

Sasuke nodded, "After this I move up, right?"

"If I think you're doing well, we'll try entering you at a higher level. But I think that for now, this level will suffice; no matter how degrading you may think it is."

"What level are you?"

Naruto looked away, "You don't want to know that Sasuke."

"Why?"

"It'll make you depressed."

"He's a CCI 3-Star." A voice said behind them.

Naruto spun around at the voice, "What are you doing here?"

"I've decided that I can't replace you at work and I'm taking you back."

The blond felt his jaw drop, "Wh-what?" He felt a hand grip his shoulder tightly and he glanced back to see Sasuke glaring daggers at his father.

"You let him go of your own free will; he's mine now."

Minato arched an eyebrow at Sasuke's comment, "Your what?"

"He's joking," Naruto said quickly as he broke free from Sasuke's grip, and eyed his father, "Why are you really here?"

"I came to make sure that you were alright, and to see that new filly that Iruka told me about."

"Ah. Iruka is up in the house right now, he can show you the new filly, and I'm doing fine. I'm just working with Sasuke on some drills and he's helping me through the nights."

Sasuke smirked behind Naruto, knowing exactly how he was keeping the blond sleeping soundlessly through the night; but Minato didn't need to know that little detail. He watched as the Naruto sent his father up the hill to the house and was glad that they were working on their relationship. Speaking of that, he still needed to tell his dad about his up coming event.

Naruto turned his attention back to Sasuke, "Okay, let's run through the test. Start at A with a working trot."

\------

A gentle breeze blew across the paddock, sending the leaves dancing around the chestnut's hooves. She let out a squeal and pranced away from them before trotting back to sniff at them in curiosity.

Naruto smiled as he watched her play. He was perched on the top railing, enjoying the evening breeze and silence that came with the night. He hadn't had a good chance to just sit and watch the filly play since he had returned home, and he wanted to spend some time with her now that he had the chance. After watching Kushina prance around the pasture another time, he slid off the railing and into the enclosure with her.

She trotted over to him and nudged his pocket for a treat, making the blond laugh. She was so much like her father and he was excited to have this second chance to work with her. He rubbed her ears softly and looked her over. Her body was built for racing with a wide chest and long legs, and her eyes shown with intelligence and mischief.

The filly pushed her head into his chest and he gently pushed back, trying to encourage a game of tag as he once had with Kyuubi.

\------

"Are you sure you'll be fine by yourself?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, this is something I need to do alone."

"Okay, I'll be back here when you're done."

"Thanks Sasuke." He answered and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before dropping to the ground.

It was a beautiful sunny day, and the sunlight was streaming in through the trees, casting shadows across the trunks. Ahead of him, one tree trunk was cast in shadows and the ground was still turned up from the recent dig. Fresh green grass was growing around the spot and Iruka had placed a small group of flowers next to the trunk, adding some color to the area.

He stared at the patch of brown dirt before his eyes traveled up to the stone carving that leaned against the trunk. The words 'Kyuubi' were etched elegantly into the marble along with a few select words. Everyone else had paid their respects; it was time for him to give his.

"Hey Kyuubi," he said softly.

\-------

Naruto watched in amusement as Sasuke rocked back and forth on his heals nervously. Brown eyes rolled back to glance at them and the horse let out an unhappy snort. It was a week until the event and Sasuke was getting Dark Angel ready. They had already brushed and clipped his tail to meet the regulations and they were now getting ready to work on the hardest part.

Or at least Sasuke was; Naruto was just going to sit back and watch.

"You better start now, he hates having his mane pulled."

Sasuke gave him an annoyed look, "He's a show horse, shouldn't he be used to this?"

The blond shrugged, "I'm sure he is, but that doesn't mean he likes it. Be thankful that I kept his mane in good condition."

"I still think you should do this, he's your horse."

The sound of gentle laughter made Sasuke tense and grip the brush tighter, "Shut up Itachi."

Itachi smirked, "I just like to see you sweat a bit, little brother."

Sasuke sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly before approaching the dark horse. Ears went back and teeth bared, making Sasuke jump back while Naruto howled with laughter.

In the end, it took Sasuke three long hours to pull a fourth of the geldings' mane, while it only took Naruto an hour to finish the job.

\--------

The previous afternoon had Naruto loading Dark Angel up, while Sasuke checked over the supplies in the trailer. Naruto had suggested that they bring a trailer that had a small living quarter in the front to save money and driving time.

They had decided to go a day early to get the gelding settled and to get Sasuke away from Uchiha Estates. Naruto could already tell that he was getting nervous about telling his father and leaving early would help clear his mind. So, Itachi had told Sasuke that he would smooth everything out with their father and they would see him on Friday; too bad he lied about that.

Still, despite everything, Sasuke was still jittery about his first event and Naruto had to calm him down last night. Who knew that he could make Sasuke beg like that? Although, he was sure that Sasuke wasn't about to forgive him after that and he was certain that he would get his punishment for it, but he pushed the thought from his mind for the moment.

He walked through the crowded stable with a cup of coffee in his hand and found his way to the stall. Because Sasuke was entered at the lower level, he would be competing first each day. His eyes raked over the black gelding as Sasuke ran a soft cloth over the horses' body, making the coat shine.

"You don't compete for another two hours, so you still have time to shower and change." Naruto stated, handing Sasuke the coffee cup, "How'd he feel this morning?"

"He moved fine through all his paces." Sasuke answered as he dropped the rag into a bucket, "He just finished eating, so he should be ready to go."

Naruto nodded, "Go get ready then, Sakura will be here in fifteen minutes or so to watch him, then I can help you get ready."

Sasuke grunted and headed back to the trailer while Naruto leaned against the wall, looking for familiar faces in the crowd. He knew that Itachi hadn't told the eldest Uchiha about Sasuke, instead, he was opting to bring the man here and have him watch Sasuke. They had both hoped that showing him would have a bigger impact than just telling him.

The blond grunted; this was going to turn out to be an interesting day.

An hour and a half later, Sasuke sat in Dark Angel's saddle while Sakura made sure that the geldings' coat was shining and Naruto made sure that the tack and Sasuke's attire were perfect. After they both deemed him perfect, Naruto led him to the gate where two other riders waited. He reached up and gave Sasuke's hand a quick squeeze.

"Don't be nervous, relax out there and it'll all come naturally to you."

"But what about -"

Naruto cut him off, "Don't think about that. Just think about what you need to do. You've been training for this for months now, you're ready." Ahead of them, the second rider entered the ring and Naruto brought Sasuke's hand to his mouth, placing a soft kiss over the gloved knuckles, "I'll be waiting for you back here, good luck." He murmured.

He released the hand as Sasuke's number was called to the gate, and Sasuke tapped the horse forward gently. A minute later, the previous rider exited the ring and Sasuke collected his reins as he sucked in a deep breath. He started to panic when he realized that he didn't remember the first pass and he closed his eyes, trying to remember the paper he had practiced this morning.

"Number 801, Sasuke Uchiha, riding Dark Angel." The voice called over the intercom and Sasuke's eyes widened. He saw the worker open the gate for him and ahead, the flat dirt stretched out in front of him. His body relaxed slightly as the familiarity rushed over him and everything came back again.

_'Start A, enter working trot.'_

He lightly tapped the horses' sides, sending him into the ring at a smooth working trot until they reached X, where he stopped and saluted, before continuing with a trot. The gelding moved easily beneath him as he asked him to move to the left at a trot. His body sat relaxed in the saddle and his hands barely moved when he gave the signal to move into a circle.

Once they moved out of the circle, he nudged the horse into a canter until they reached the marker B, where they started another left circle. His heart was in his throat as Dark Angel glided across the dirt surface and it felt like they were dancing. Even though they had practiced this hundreds of times, he had never felt this in tune with the gelding and as he brought the horse to a stop in front of the judge and gave him the final salute, excitement raced through his body.

They left the arena at an easy walk and the corners of Sasuke's lips twitched in enthusiasm as he saw Naruto waiting for him, but the blonds' mouth was set in a grim line as they neared and he knew that something wasn't right. Naruto reached for the reins as Sasuke slid off and eyed him carefully.

"Well?"

"You froze up."

"At first, but then it all came back and I relaxed." He stated, "I thought I did everything correctly."

Naruto's face broke out into a large grin, "You did; I'm just messing with you."

Sasuke huffed in annoyance at the antics, but quickly forgave him when he felt soft lips brush against his. He supposed that for now, he could forgive the blond. They led the horse back to the trailer where a small crowd was waiting for them, and Sasuke slowed down as he saw his father at the side of the group. He didn't look pleased.

Before his father had a chance to say anything though, his mother pressed through the crowd and threw her arms around him, "You look so much cuter in this outfit than your jockey silks." She said with a smile and behind her, Itachi snickered.

She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the mass of people. He pointedly ignored his father's stare and instead focused on his mother who was telling Itachi that he needed to try eventing as well so he could look cute. Itachi blanched and Naruto snorted with laughter.

"What, don't you think Itachi and Sasuke would look cute together in matching riding clothes, honey?" Mikoto questioned.

Everyone fell silent and all eyes turned towards Fugaku, (except Naruto who was doubled over in silent laughter at the mere thought of the two Uchiha brothers in matching outfits). Fugaku's eyebrows went up and his gaze swept over his two sons before he let out a sigh. "I draw the line at that Mikoto. I'm fine with Sasuke competing, but I won't stand for the two to play dress up."

Sasuke let out a sigh of relief and then snapped his head up as his father's comment sunk in, "But you didn't want me to compete when I was younger. You were always telling me how great Itachi was and how amazing the track was."

Fugaku shrugged, "It was your choice to quit and start racing. I would have let you continue to compete in eventing, but you stopped of your own free will."

"You're serious?" His father nodded and Sasuke groaned.

"You know mother," Itachi's calm voice stated, "If you're so intent in having matching outfits with Sasuke, I'm sure Naruto wouldn't mind dressing up for you."

Naruto's head shot up, "Huh?"

\-------

It was the second day of the event and Sasuke tugged at his protective vest as they walked the cross-country course. They had walked it yesterday as well, but Naruto wanted to see the course one last time in the morning, stating that the lighting and footing changed during the day. The course only had 14 jumps set up, with plenty of space to gallop between them.

They walked through the course and Naruto had Sasuke explain his strategy to him as they went. It was important that Sasuke made sure he knew where the best points to jump were and where in the course he needed to gallop. If he went over the allotted time, he would be given penalty points that could set him back.

Once they finished the course, they headed back to the trailer where Sasuke started saddling Dark Angel. He was supposed to ride sixth today and didn't need to rush on getting ready. The biggest thing to focus on right now was making sure that his equipment met the safety standards and Naruto was already checking over the buckles and straps.

When he declared him ready to go, he grabbed the reins and led the horse away. He wasn't nervous like he was yesterday; dressage was the only aspect in which he didn't have the best control. Any form of jumping thrilled him to no end and the aspect of racing cross-country had always excited him. The gelding pranced in place and pulled at the reins, anxious to get on the field as Sasuke brought him to a stop.

Three riders could be on course at one time and his group was getting ready to enter the starting box. A whistle sounded through the air as another rider entered the course and Sasuke collected his reins as the judge let him in the gate. Sitting on top of the horse, he could see most of the course and the pathway he needed to take. Judges were stationed at each jump, looking for refusals and knockdowns from the horse, and small pockets of spectators were crowded around the numerous jumps.

"Ready Sasuke?"

Sasuke glanced down at the speaker and was surprised to see Hinata standing next to the gate. He shook the shock away and nodded briefly to her. "I'm here for the vet inspection; making sure he looks stable and such." She told him after seeing the questioning look in his eyes. Sasuke grunted in response and turned his attention back to the field while his eyes followed the path of the horse in front of him.

"Good luck." She told him just before the whistle was blown and the gate opened. She watched him gallop out of the gate in a collected stride and let a small smile cross her face before she turned to the next rider.

On the field, Sasuke blocked the crowd from his mind. It was the same as when he raced; they were nothing more than distractions. The first few jumps were relatively easy to help settle both rider and horse, but they were starting to come up on some harder jumps soon. He watched the gelding prick his ears as he signaled for the upcoming jump, which would send them into a shallow bed of water. The jump itself was small compared to what it could be jumped at, but it still required concentration.

He counted out the strides needed and moved his hands up on the neck as the gelding soared over the jump, splashing water as they landed. It was an easy five strides until they reached the other side of the bank before they jumped out and over the last part of the combination. He let out a sigh and moved the gelding into a gallop to keep on track.

As they neared the next jump, he slowed Dark Angel into an easy canter and then set him up for the jump. It was a simple brush fence and they cleared it with room to spare. They circled around a tight corner and to his right; he could see the ending line where larger crowds of people were waiting.

Five fences later, he found himself galloping down the finish line. He pulled the horse to a stop once he crossed under the line and quickly dismounted to let Naruto come up and start pulling tack off. He handed the tack off to Sakura and Sasuke fell in step with Naruto as they walked the horse out. Sasuke knew he was lucky on the second to last jump when the gelding had almost refused the jump, and he knew the blond was going to ask him about it.

Black eyes darted to the side where his lover was silent as they continued to cool out the horse. The silence was unnerving and he wished Naruto would say something to break the silence. In the distance, a whistle sounded as the next set of riders entered the course and Sasuke finally snapped, "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Naruto shook his head, "Nope." He grinned, "You know what you did wrong and we work to fix it. Now tell me what you did wrong."

\------

"Rider number 801, Sasuke Uchiha and Dark Angel."

Sasuke peeked through the orange perked ears and entered the ring at an easy canter. He would have preferred blue ear covers for the horse, but Naruto had firmly stuck the orange ones on and declared that they stayed on. The sounding bell rang, giving him less than fifteen seconds to approach the first jump, and he angled the gelding towards the first obstacle.

There were ten jumps total set at a height of 2 feet, 7 inches and lower; but he didn't dwell on the height. Instead, he kept his mind focused on each of the upcoming jumps and making sure that his seat and hands moved in the correct position. Too many riders had been upset already by bad positioning and he wanted to complete a clean run.

He circled a jump and signaled the gelding to change leads as they approached the fifth jump. He counted the strides and at the third stride, set the horse up. Ears perked up at the upcoming jump, muscles bunched in preparing for the flight and at the given signal, they exploded. It was the euphoric feeling as they flew over the jump that made Sasuke heart soar and they bounded away towards the next jump.

A smile flickered across his face as they landed after the last jump and dropped into a trot. They had jumped clean and within the allotted time as well, now the only thing left to do was wait and see which others went clean as well. He stopped the gelding next to Naruto who was waiting outside the ring and slid to the ground.

The blond was watching the current rider negotiate the fences and only turned away when a rail was knocked down. "You did well Sasuke. If no one else jumps clean, you'll take second. If the last rider jumps clean, you two will have a jump off."

Sasuke joined him at the rail and looked at the last rider who was waiting by the gate. He was currently the leader, having scored higher in the dressage compared to Sasuke. The rider looked confident as he signaled the mare to canter and Sasuke found himself wishing that he would knock a rail down. His wish was ignored though as the rider exited the ring with a smug look on his face.

"We have a jump off between riders number 801 and 963. Riders please stand by for confirmation."

Naruto turned to face Sasuke again, "They'll probably take away a few jumps and raise the height. You need to get the fastest time and the cleanest round to win." He looked at the other rider who was talking to his coach, "His horse is experienced as well and can take the higher jumps, so I'm going to give you your first lesson in advantage."

Fifteen minutes later, Sasuke watched as the other rider finished the course clean. He knew the time he had to beat and look anxiously at Naruto who simply shrugged and said, "You have nothing else to lose."

The gate was opened and he entered at a walk, eyeing the changes that were made to the course. They had taken away two of the jumps, leaving eight for him to negotiate. The whistle blew and he pushed Dark Angel into a canter. His heart beat hard against his chest as they moved through the course quickly and carefully and passed the first six clear.

The final two fences had his stomach in knots. Naruto had assured him it was possible and admitted that he did it once or twice himself when the circumstances were there, but he wasn't Naruto. He angled the gelding towards the second to last jump, focusing on the other side of it where his final goal waited. The horse pricked his ears and gathered himself before launching into the air, soaring over the fence.

It wasn't until they landed that Sasuke decided to go through with Naruto's idea. He pressed his leg against the geldings' side, making him turn sharply and set him up for another jump. The gelding eyed the jump and surged forward, knowing what his rider wanted. In the stands, the crowd erupted into a frenzy as Sasuke and Dark Angel jumped over the scenery and cantered towards the last jump.

Sasuke ignored the crowd as he slowed the horse down so they could take the jump better. He silently counted the strides and rose in his seat as the black gelding soared over the oxer, touching down cleanly on the other side.

The gelding cantered a few more strides until Sasuke dropped him down into a walk. A smirk threatened to over take his face as he moved over to the open gate, where he could see a grinning Naruto waiting for him. He jumped to the ground and felt his body get pushed backwards as Naruto glomped him.

"That was brilliant." He paused for a second, "Did you ever doubt me?"

Sasuke scoffed, "Don't get cocky."

They made their way back to the trailer where Sakura was waiting to take the gelding off their hands. She flashed Sasuke a smile, "You did well Sasuke." She peeked past Sasuke and looked at Naruto, "You still have some equipment in the stall where this guy was staying, can you go pick it up for me?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah, I suppose I can do that."

She rolled her eyes at him and they walked off towards the barn while Sakura started to untack the gelding, while muttering under her breath about annoying blondes.

\-------

Naruto and Sasuke moved down the aisle way in silence until they reached the stall and Naruto entered the enclosure. He frowned as he looked over the buckets that needed to be brought back. He went to reach for the first bucket when the sound of the bolt shutting turned his attention back to the stable door.

His head turned towards the sound and he cocked an eyebrow at Sasuke. "What's with the look?"

"I've been waiting all weekend for a chance like this." Sasuke answered and slowly backed Naruto into a corner, "I never got to thank you for that other night."

Naruto laughed nervously, "You still remember that?"

Sasuke smirked as he pushed him up against the wall, "I do, and I need to make sure that you don't tell anyone about it." He pressed his lips against the blonds soft ones, while his hand slid up the tanned chest. The pale hand found a dusty nipple and teased it while his mouth attacked Naruto's neck.

Underneath him, Naruto let out a mew and Sasuke smirked against the skin His hand drifted down and started to play with the button on the blonds jeans as Naruto panted under him. "Sasuke, we ca-can't do this here."

The button came undone allowing Sasuke to slip his hand down the blonds' pants. Naruto's breath hitched as Sasuke firmly grasped his length and started to stroke it. Sasuke brought his mouth to the tan ear, "Don't hold back Naruto, I'm going to make you scream."

\-------

"Sakura, where is Naruto?"

Sakura looked up from loading the trailer and cocked her head at Minato and Fugaku, "Naruto's with Sasuke. They were in the barn picking up some buckets. They should still be in there if you want to go met them." She told them.

"Thank you Sakura." Minato answered.

"Oh," she poked her head back out of the trailer, "We're having a dinner tonight to celebrate Sasuke's success; you two should come. It would probably mean a lot to them if you were there."

Fugaku nodded his thanks to the groom and the two males headed towards the barn.

\------

"Fu-fuck Sasuke." Naruto gasped as Sasuke ran his tongue over his length before engulfing it. His hands found anchor in Sasuke's hair as Sasuke started to suck and another hand came down to fondle his balls.

Sasuke smirked as he listened to his lover moaningand panting his name. His own arousal was straining against his breeches, but he would take care of that problem soon. He moved his hand to hold down Naruto's hip as they gave a small buck, but continued his ministrations.

The blond let out a broken cry of Sasuke's name that echoed throughout the empty barn and Sasuke started to search for the bucket of water in the corner. He wanted to be buried in that tight heat now. He grinned when his fingers found the bucket of water but his excitement was cut short at the sound of a strangled cry.

Both males glanced up at their fathers who stared down at them, and it was only then that Sasuke took in their position; Naruto, who was on the ground with his cock still in Sasuke's mouth. Mouths opened to comment, but no sound came out of either father as they continued to stare in disbelief. Naruto's eyes were wide and he was trying to control his harsh breathing and failing miserably, while Sasuke's mind still wasn't working and his sane self screamed at him to do something.

Pale hands appeared behind both fathers and covered their eyes as a smooth voice filtered through the stall, "Listen to the sound of my voice. You are only seeing things, this never happened, now slowly back up." The two males took a step back away from the stall door, and the hands continued to cover their eyes, as the person turned them to the left. "Keep on walking, nothing happened here."

"But Itachi, they were," Fugaku started.

Itachi cut him off, "Keep on walking, pretend it didn't happen and everything will be fine." He leaned back enough so he could see Sasuke and Naruto and mouthed to them; 'finish up quickly'. He turned his attention back to the stunned men and continuing to lead them out.

It was only after their fathers had vanished from the barn that the realization hit them, and Sasuke finally let Naruto's cock fall from his mouth, as Naruto slammed his head against the barn wall. They both muttered one word;

"Fuck."

\-------

_Present time_

So now, here they sat; an awkward silence settling over the table as both Naruto and Sasuke avoided making eye contact with their fathers. Itachi sat across from the two riders and smirked at the predicament they had put themselves in while he studied the two elder men.

They were sitting stiffly in their chairs and staring straight ahead, just as determined not to look at their sons. He was pretty sure that they had convinced themselves that if they didn't think about it, it never happened.

But in a single moment, it was all ruined.

Kakashi looked down the table at the two elder males as they sipped at their water, "You know, this is supposed to be a celebration but you guys are acting like you just saw Sasuke and Naruto having sex."

Both men spit out the drinks they were drinking and Kakashi blinked, "Did I hit the nail on the head?"

Itachi chuckled, "Emphasis on head."

Further down the table, Mikoto grinned; after all, every girl is a yaoi fan deep down.

Sasuke smirked while Naruto let out a groan and slammed his head on the table. Sasuke leaned over closer to Naruto, "I'm guessing that now would be a bad time to tell them that we've already-"

"No!' Minato shouted, "We don't want to know. Keep it to yourselves and let us live in our own little world where we think you're doing something else."

"So you don't want to know the real reason why Naruto was limping last week?" Sai asked.

Everyone watched in shock as Minato's body tensed up, before tipping over limply onto Fugaku's shoulder.

\------  
 _Three years later_  
\------

Naruto let out a sigh and glanced up at the bright blue sky; it was the perfect day for a race.

The past three years had been the best years in his life, not just in his racing career but in other aspects as well. Sasuke's training of Sanis had finally paid off and he was now riding her in events, slowly gathering points to move up in level. Sasuke had decided not to give up on his track days, choosing only to race when the farm needed him, allowing them to train together in the early mornings. And when Naruto wasn't helping train Sanis or other horses, he was working with Kushina's Honor.

The filly was a joy to work with, but there was only one thing keeping him from letting her race when she came of age. However, a month after he raced on the track again, he had received the news that he had been dying to hear.

They had caught Orochimaru.

Jiraiya had used the information that Minato had given them and tracked the owner to India where he was collecting snakes for a collection. The call had come in at two-thirty in the morning and Naruto had almost been tempted to throw the phone out the window, but answered it last moment.

His yell was heard by Iruka in the house over and made Sasuke fall out of bed.

Only after Gaara had kicked the door open thinking he was being murdered and Iruka came bursting into the bunkhouse, did he realize how loud he had yelled. He apologized profusely and explained the situation to his bunkmates, and they spent the rest of the night celebrating.

Orochimaru arrived in the States a few days later where Kentucky police took him into custody, charging him for the drugs as well as the bump at the Belmont. Last they had heard of him, he was moved to a Federal Prison for other charges; something about human experiments and little boys.

And with Orochimaru locked up in jail, nothing was going to stop Naruto from racing the filly.

Azure eyes scanned the crowd once more as they waited for the call and he finally saw a head of dark hair leading a blond man over to the tunnel. Sasuke smirked at him as he emerged from the crowd and placed a quick kiss on his forehead before his father appeared from the mass of people.

"Are you nervous?"

Naruto shook his head, "More excited than nervous." He hesitated slightly, "But I'm glad that you're here."

Minato huffed and ran his eyes over the horse, who pranced excitedly in place. "I didn't want to miss her first run."

The call for riders up echoed over the loud speakers cutting Naruto's response short. Iruka shuffled Minato towards a better spot while Sasuke gave Naruto a leg up. He waited until Naruto had situated himself in the saddle before grabbing his hand. Blue eyes locked with coal ones and Sasuke gave his hand a squeeze

"I'll see you in the Winner's Circle."

Naruto flashed him a smile before the pony rider grabbed the bridle and led them out onto the track. He could hear the announcer calling out the horses and their positions, but he tuned the noise out until it was just a murmur in the background. Underneath him, his mount danced across the field and ears pricked as they neared the chute.

Once they entered the chute, silence descended over his world and his hand dropped onto a red shoulder. "Are you ready Kushina?" He asked.

The filly snorted in response and she focused out onto the vast track in front of them, shifting slightly. Naruto's eyes flickered to the dirt track that lay before them and his voice dropped to a whisper as he threaded his fingers through Kushina's mane.

"He's waiting for you, Kushina. He's ready for you to make your own legend."

The sounding bell was loud in their silent world and muscles sprung into action as horse and rider erupted from the starting gate and onto the dirt track. In that instant, nothing else mattered but the track beneath the hooves and the stretch of land that was theirs for the taking.

It was the sense of freedom as the wind whipped through their hair, the feeling of adrenaline that rushed through their veins, and it was the love of all the other indescribable emotions that rushed over them.

Because sometimes, there are simply no words that can describe the sensation of flying, only feelings.


End file.
